The Ice Princess
by Blatant Subtleties
Summary: AU. Sakura's country reflects her general disposition - icy cold. Her new bodyguard, Syaoran, is even worse. Will they be able to thaw each other's hearts before it's too late? SakuraxSyaoran and implied TouyaxYue.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: **Hello all I'm back again, surprisingly fast, and this doesn't usually happen, but I feel like writing and I'm not about to say no to any excuse to avoid studying :p First CCS fic, and I doubt it's an original plot (where is the possibility of an original plot anymore), but I'm going to try to make the story as original as possible. If you follow the TRC manga, then you might realise that I got the inspiration for Sakura's character from the Sakura in the "Infinity" arc of the TRC manga. I know Sakura will seem OOC in the first few chapters, but there's a reason for it, and **I will get to it!** Don't harass me about it when I haven't even started to sort out all the plot bunnies. ends rant I might be slow in updating later chapters, so please bear with me. As for now, read and review and hope you like! 

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**The Kingdom of Kinomoto**

The kingdom seemed to reflect the disposition of its rulers – Kinomoto country was always cold. It was bearable in the supposed months of summer, when the winds did not bite and it was possible to step out into the open without wearing layers of protective clothing. In winter, however, it was pure torture. All the lakes and the rivers would be frozen solid, and there would be blizzards and snow storms every other day. Occasionally there would be a respite, when it would be safe for the inhabitants of the castle to wander around outside. But when the gales came back, nobody dared to venture outside.

Not even the Princess.

It was during the Spring of the Princess's seventeenth year, that the changes began to take place. It all started with the threat of an invasion.

"Yes, Kinomoto-sama, there are rumours coming in from the West," the King's Prime Minister, Yue, reported. "It seems that the Princess..."

Kinomoto Touya looked thoughtful. "Sakura, huh? That's striking a bit low."

Yue inclined his head in agreement. "Precautions must be taken, Kinomoto-sama."

Touya glared. "Drop the titles, Yue. Nobody else is here." Yue looked away, but mumbled an apology under his breath. "As for precautions, arrangements have been made." He sighed in irritation. "A brat should be arriving here very soon."

Yue shot a curious glance at his close friend._ 'A brat?'_ he thought, bemused.

Touya wasn't done. He looked pensive as he continued, "I only hope he can protect her... Where I can't." There was so much misery and helplessness in the King's eyes. He looked to be in perfect despair. Yue couldn't help himself.

He flew up to the King's throne and wrapped his wings around Touya, engulfing him in the warmth of his feathers.

**XXX**

**"Sakura-chan!!"**

A loud piercing shriek echoed through the first floor of the castle. Those who were unfamiliar with such incidents were startled beyond their wits, to say the least. Those who were accustomed to this, on the other hand, smirked in amusement and tried to reign in their laughter that was threatening to spill out any minute, out of fear of the Princess's fury.

Speaking of whom, there was a petite figure skulking around, two rooms away from her very own room. She wondered in desperation if she could make it back to her room before she was discovered. She highly doubted it, but on hearing the shriek run its course through the corridors, Sakura abandoned all her inhibitions and made a mad dash towards her room.

_'Almost there,'_ she thought, the handle of the door mere millimetres away from her grasp, before she felt herself being dragged towards the ground. She made a very un-ladylike face, and thought darkly, _'Damn. And I was nearly there.'_ She resigned herself to her fate, and turned to face her closest, and only friend at the castle.

"Hey, Tomoyo-chan," she said sheepishly. "Didn't see you there." _'I'm getting too comfortable with lying through my teeth,'_ Sakura thought absently.

Daidouji Tomoyo wasn't buying it for a second. "You're avoiding it, aren't you?" She crossed her arms across her chest and looked at Sakura petulantly.

Nervous and wishing Tomoyo wasn't so perceptive, Sakura patted her bangs and stammered, "I have no idea what you mean."

"You can't keep running away, Sakura. He's going to call you and you will have to go down there and face it sometime." Tomoyo's voice was laced with sympathy towards her friend, and she winced internally as she saw the barriers come up around Sakura again, and the sparkle get snuffed out from her eyes. _'Never a good sign. Must have been the sympathy that did it this time.'_

Sakura stood up stiffly, and smoothed down her rumpled skirts that had messed themselves up while she had fallen to the ground, running from Tomoyo. She looked down at her, and said in a dull, cold monotone, "Take me to them."

Tomoyo sighed and stood up as well. She was used to this routine. Her role as the Princess's best friend was over for now. She bowed deeply, and said, "This way, Your Majesty," and led her down to the main throne room.

Tomoyo was back to the role of being the Princess's personal maid.

**XXX**

Touya and Yue were waiting in the throne room, feeling more than a little apprehensive. They were not very pleased at the prospect of having a strange outsider protect the Princess, but they knew they had little other choice. They couldn't afford to risk her safety.

There was a knock on the door to the throne room, and it was opened to let in Tomoyo, who was bringing Sakura in behind her. Tomoyo looked a little upset, which baffled the two men, until they got a good look at Sakura's emotionless face.

_'She's gone back to that state, huh?'_ Touya thought, bitterly. Yue placed a placating hand on the King's shoulder, sensing his disturbance. He got a stiff smile in return. Yue sighed, and wondered why Sakura was being so difficult about the whole thing. _'It all happened so long ago. She shouldn't be holding a grudge for so long. Why can't she see that it's starting to hurt her family?'_ Yue shook his head imperceptibly, to clear the thoughts from his mind and focused on the task at hand.

Tomoyo bowed before the King, while Sakura merely inclined her head. She looked back up at Touya and said, calmly, "Onii-sama, you called."

Touya grunted and replied, indicating to two seats to his left, "Have a seat. He should be here soon."

Nothing on Sakura's face changed, but her curiosity was piqued now. "Who should be here soon?"

_'So she is interested, after all,'_ Touya thought, mentally smirking in satisfaction. He was happy that she was still capable of feeling, especially in front of _him_. "New safety measures. You're getting a bodyguard," he said finally, replying to her earlier question.

Sakura bristled. "I can take care of myself, Nii-san." The slight drop in formality did not go unnoticed by the others in the throne room, although nobody chose to comment on it.

"I don't doubt that," Touya responded, gently. "But I'll sleep easier knowing that someone's taking good care of you." If Sakura hadn't been listening closely, she would have missed him mumble, "Even if it is a damned brat." She had to work hard to keep her face impassive.

Sakura and Tomoyo had just seated themselves in their respective chairs, when a courtier entered the room and, bowing deeply, announced, "Li Syaoran seeks his Majesty's audience."

Sakura frowned slightly. _'Little wolf? Who gets named like that?'_

"Send him in," Yue commanded.

The courtier went out and returned almost immediately with a young boy in tow. His brown hair fell in choppy bangs onto his face, covering his eyes. He made his way forward and knelt before the King's throne, placing his sword on the ground before him. It was an obvious sign of deference and submission.

Touya scrutinised every inch of the boy that he could see. He wasn't expecting a literal brat in his presence to protect his baby sister. "Take your weapon and rise."

Syaoran picked up his sword and raised his head to the King. "Li Syaoran, youngest son of the Li clan, to protect the Princess of Kinomoto country with his life."

Tomoyo was decidedly impressed with his declaration. She would be more impressed if she could see his eyes, but his hair was still being an obstruction. She glanced sideways to try and gauge Sakura's reaction and almost throttled her for the sheer blankness on her face.

Touya, still hesitant, told Li Syaoran, "You are to watch over the Princess at all times. Under no circumstance are you to leave her side. Arrangements will be made for your sleeping quarters to be put up in the room that connects to the Princess's room. Daidouji-san, the Princess's assistant, will detail you further on your duties." He paused, wondering if he should add the next line, but went on anyway. Sakura's wrath was something he looked forward to these days. "Even if the Princess begs and pleads, threatens or orders you to get out of her sight, you are to remain by her side. We do not want to have two deaths here, when we can just as easily have none."

Syaoran recognised an overprotective older brother when he saw one. He had no qualms about spending too much time around a girl. He had enough experience with that back home. He nodded once, and said, "Yes, Your Majesty."

Relieved that he didn't have to drive some sense into the boy, Touya turned to his sister. "Do you have anything you wish to add, before he starts performing his duties?"

Sakura had been seething in silent fury while Touya made his speech. All day by her side? It would be like having a puppy follow her around, only puppies weren't nuisances. And now her brother was asking her if she had something to add? _'Didn't he already cover every single aspect of my life with those few lines?'_

Syaoran raised his eyes to meet the Princess's in anticipation of further orders, and Tomoyo gasped aloud in shock, unable to keep it in.

Ice cold met colder than ice, and all the other inhabitants of the room suddenly thought that the temperature had dropped sharply. If looks could freeze, Yue wasn't sure which one of the two youngsters would be frozen solid in an instant first.

Sakura calmly replied in the negative to her brother's question, and Syaoran bowed deeply to the Princess, his bangs once again hiding his face, along with the small smirk that had formed on seeing those cold eyes. _'What could have happened to her, to make her want to be like that? It's pretty obvious that she isn't normally an ice queen. She looks like she's fighting to keep her facade up. Oh, well. It isn't really my problem anyway.'_

Wanting to be rid of the two indoor snow storms, Touya dismissed them, after telling Syaoran that he was to start his duties immediately. The minute the three teenagers were out of the throne room, Touya shivered and Yue fought for control over his face, that threatened to break out into a broad grin, very unlike his usual blank state. "Who do you think will break the other first, Touya?"

Touya looked at his best friend, and said shakily, "You're enjoying this? I never want to be in the same room as those two again. We don't need any more blizzards in this country."

Yue couldn't help it. The expression on the King's face and the earlier frostbite was too much for him to handle.

He let the grin win.

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**Disclaimer: **Cardcaptor Sakura is CLAMP copyright. I'm just borrowing the characters. Feel like playing with them a bit. ;)


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** Chapter 2 here! I tried to write as much as I can, but I'm feeling pretty drained and I have killer exams coming up, that I cannot afford to fail. No fears though, I will try to update as soon as I can. Hopefully atleast every 3-4 days. :) As for now, read and review please!

**Disclaimer: **CLAMP owns CCS, not me.

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Tomoyo was leading the way back to Sakura's room, feeling distinctly chilly being around the two who were slowly following her. She cursed the King for the millionth time in her head, blaming him for making her do his dirty work. _'Tomoyo will detail you on your further duties, indeed. I'm no member of the royal family. He just wants to avoid the chill.'_ Trying not to mutter under her breath, Tomoyo picked up the pace, and finally stopped outside Sakura's room. She turned around to face the new presence within the castle.

Downstairs, his eyes were shrouded for so long, it seemed like he was trying to hide them. Up here, however, he had nothing to fear. His brown eyes, with flecks of gold in them, would have been remarkable to look at, if only they didn't have that dead, frozen look to them. He seemed to be giving Sakura some competition, although her beautiful jade green eyes seemed to be just as glacial.

Remembering her task at hand, Tomoyo cleared her throat to get their attention. "This is Sakura-hime's room, Li-san." She pointed to the room to the right of Sakura's door, and continued, "That will be your room while you stay here. The restroom connects the two rooms, apart from a separate connecting door." She paused, trying to think of the duties that she would have to give him. An evil glint came into her eye that had Sakura start in fear. _'What is Tomoyo thinking? Please let her not have something worse than Touya in mind.'_

Syaoran wasn't too sure he liked the look on Tomoyo's face either. She was definitely planning something, and set his mouth in a grim, straight line.

Tomoyo giggled at the looks she was getting and said, "Mou, don't look at me so scarily. I was just going to tell Li-san that Sakura-hime doesn't have too much company in the castle. Most of the time it's only me, and I'm sure she's tired of my company already."

Sakura's eyes widened, and she exclaimed, "Tomoyo, that isn't true and you know it. I am not tired of talking to you, and I am most certainly not tired of your company."

Tomoyo smiled, and completely ignored Sakura's statement. She continued to Syaoran, "Sakura-chan's sweet, even though she doesn't really look it. And she needs somebody to talk to before she goes insane in this godforsaken place. She can't go on talking to the walls. After all, they aren't going to respond."

Sakura glared at Tomoyo for disclosing so much to a stranger, and Syaoran was torn between trying not to show his amusement and wonder that the Princess hadn't gone insane already. _'Talking to walls?'_

Tomoyo went on, "Since the King gave me the responsibility of assigning you the remaining of your duties, I'd only like to add one more to your list, Li-san." Sakura's eyes became the size of gigantic saucers, as she finally realised where this was going. _'Tomoyo, don't you dare –_ "I'd like you to be friends with Sakura-chan while you're here." Tomoyo smiled, either completely oblivious to the effect that her words were having on the others, or choosing to ignore it.

Sakura was raging with anger that she couldn't afford to show. She couldn't let this new strange boy see her crack within his first hour in the castle. _'I need a friend? Oh, Tomoyo, wait till I get my hands on you when you don't have some poor unsuspecting soul to protect you.'_ Sakura didn't vocalise her feelings, but Tomoyo could feel the heat radiating from her body, and smiled at her chirpily, deciding to ignore the painfully harsh glare that Sakura was sending her. _'It's for your own good, Sakura. I want my happy friend back.'_ She was expecting Sakura's reaction, but Syaoran's reaction completely threw her.

His demeanour, that she had previously thought to be cold, was now positively frigid. If she didn't know better, she'd think he was plotting her murder. _'Actually, I don't know better now, do I?'_ She started to become increasingly nervous when she saw his hand inch towards his sword that he had loosely placed in a sash tied around his waist.

Much as Syaoran wanted to, he couldn't threaten this impudent girl with his sword. She was part of the family that he was employed with. If he recalled correctly, the King had said that the dark-haired girl – Daidouji? – was the Princess's maid. But if the subtle, steady drop in honorifics and the possessive way in which she talked about the Princess was any indication, he was ready to bet that they were close friends. Which brought him back to the sad truth that while he was protecting the Princess, he would have to be protecting her as well. _'Damn it. What I wouldn't give to make her take those stupid words back. __Friends?__ Members of the Li clan do not have friends.'_

Tomoyo sighed, relieved that her life was not in any immediate danger. She opened the door to Sakura's room, and didn't give Syaoran a chance to admire the immaculate neatness of it all. There was a big bed that took up much of the centre of the room, with light blue coverings and pale blue draperies hanging from the four bedposts. There was a dresser to the left of the door, with a full-length mirror, and none of the usual junk that one expects to see cluttering up a teenage girl's table. Opposite to the main door was a set of French windows that opened up to Sakura's balcony, with a marvellous view of the countryside. Although, in winter, the same marvellous view became rather monotonous, considering the excessive amounts of snow that plagued the land. There were two doors on the right, which Syaoran deduced were the two connecting doors Tomoyo had been talking about earlier. His hunch was proven right, as she led them in that direction.

Pointing to the door closer to the balcony, Tomoyo said, "This is the restroom, Li-san. I expect you and Sakura-chan will come up with your own system of telling each other when one of you is inside." She smiled gently, successfully hiding the wide grin that threatened to erupt at the thought of any possible 'accidents' while one of them was bathing. It seemed as though Sakura was thinking the same thing, as her face exploded in a flame of red, even though the rest of her features remained the same.

Syaoran grunted, and indicated the other door with sword. Tomoyo flinched at the sight of him brandishing the weapon around so casually. _'When did he take it out of its scabbard?'_ Syaoran smirked mentally at the fear that suddenly engulfed Tomoyo.

"Is that the door to my room, then?" he asked stiffly.

Tomoyo nodded. "It's furnished in much the same way as this one is, except the bed coverings are in dark red, if I'm not mistaken."

Syaoran didn't care in the least what colour his room was in. He didn't even need a room, seeing as to how he had no idea where his belongings where. He had dumped them in the entrance hall when he reached the castle. _'But where are they now?'_ He almost moaned aloud at the thought of having to go downstairs to collect it.

Sakura looked at him, a little curious. He had made an unusual sound earlier, and he looked as though he was completely tired. _'He probably is. Who knows how long he's had to travel to get here? And then he finds out that he has to protect a stuffy princess and her maid, who's too nosy for her own good.'_ A wave of sympathy swept over Sakura, which felt very unfamiliar. She frowned at the thought that she was feeling even remotely human, and said, "Tomoyo, I do not wish to be bothered by Li-san's presence while I rest. Please see that he reaches his quarters without any trouble."

Tomoyo knew better than anyone that Sakura did not 'rest' in the middle of the day. She probably wanted them both out of her room, so that she could talk to her walls again. Tomoyo wasn't about to let that happen, and started to say something, when a male voice cut her off.

"I'm sorry, Princess, but I'm afraid I have to remain with you at all times. I don't disobey orders," Syaoran said flatly.

Sakura didn't look flustered at all. It looked like she was expecting the response. "That wasn't a polite request from an affable princess, Li-san."

"I take my orders from my direct employer, Princess. I think that would be your brother."

Sakura stood ramrod straight. She said, in a deadly whisper, "Your duty is to protect me. You go against the wishes of the one you serve to protect?"

Tomoyo swallowed a groan. Nobody survived Sakura's quiet fury. She wouldn't shout like any normal angry person. She would just put whoever she was annoyed with on the biggest guilt trip of their life, until they succumbed to her wishes. It was extremely passive, but very effective. Until now.

"Pardon me, your Highness, but if someone were to attack you in your sleep, or worse, kidnap you and threaten to overthrow the kingdom using you as bait, it would be my life on the line. It would also compromise your brother's position as an effective ruler. I'm sure there are many people who already deem him unfit, purely because of his age."

Sakura did not want to admit that he was right. Touya had been given a lot of trouble by various community leaders from across the kingdom, because he was their King when he was barely twenty two years old. But how did this Li boy know?

Her question must have been written all over her face, for Syaoran smiled slightly and said, "I heard a few villagers talk on my journey here. I am not a spy, if that is what you were thinking, Princess."

Sakura bent her head in apology, and said, "Forgive my impudence, Li-san."

Syaoran's eyes widened and Tomoyo did groan this time. She said, irritably, "Oh, enough Sakura. He has just arrived. Throw your tantrums later."

Sakura glared at Tomoyo, and huffed. With a sudden twinkle in her eye, she said, "I do get to play with the puppy, ne?"

Tomoyo looked at her, hopelessly. _'Why can't this be you all the time, Sakura?'_ On the outside, she smiled brightly and said, mischievously, "Well, now, that depends entirely on Li-san here, doesn't it?" She flounced off towards the door to his room, after giving him a sly wink and motioning for him to follow her.

To say that he was confused would be a very big understatement. Syaoran had no idea what was going on. One minute, he was verbally sparring with the ice bitch of the year and the next minute, said ice bitch was acting like a ten-year-old child. He gave up trying to understand, and went into his new room and stared in astonishment.

He had thought Tomoyo was exaggerating when she said it was exactly like Sakura's room. He was expecting a lot less than royal grandeur. _'I'm her damned bodyguard. I should be given a tiny portion of the space outside her door. What is this place?'_ To add to his shock, he saw that his belongings that he thought were downstairs, were neatly arranged in their respective places. Somebody had left the door to the closet open, and he saw all his clothes hanging neatly. He glanced at the dresser, and noted that whoever had unpacked his clothes had also put the picture of his family right by his brush and magic scrolls. He was touched that these people treated their virtual slaves with so much respect.

Sakura and Tomoyo were more than a little amused to see the range of emotions that played across the new boy's face. He was obviously too preoccupied with the state of his room to try to remain cold and aloof. They were startled into oblivion, however, when they heard a distinct, "Thank you" from his side of the room. They exchanged smiling glances at each other, and Tomoyo felt as though she had been transported seven years into the past. _'Maybe he'll do more than protect her from whatever's supposed to be coming.'_

Tomoyo broke out of her reverie, and sniffled. Sakura asked her, concerned, "Tomoyo, are you coming down with something? Ask the medicine lady for herbs..." She was cut off as Tomoyo shook her head. "I'm fine, really. Why don't you get to know each other a little better? I have your laundry to check up on." Sakura looked dismayed at having to spend time alone with Syaoran. Tomoyo found it hilarious that Sakura's expression was mirrored on Syaoran's face. _'Be thankful they're emoting, baka.' _She went on, "I'll be back soon, and I fully expect to see both of you alive when I get back." Grinning, she walked away gracefully, in the same way that she came in, leaving two very awkward teenagers together. Who seemed to remember the 'puppy dog' remark at the same time, if their identical flaming faces were any sign.

By the time either of them figured out what to say to each other, the masks were back in place, and steadily fastened, to ensure that they wouldn't slip again. When Sakura spoke, it was with her usual flat effect. "Are there any particular quirks of yours that I should be aware of? I don't really wish to discover them in the middle of the night."

Syaoran had to struggle very hard to keep himself from rolling his eyes at her. "No, Princess. I don't tend to let my sword slip towards unsuspecting, sleeping girls."

His words sounded perfectly innocent, except that Sakura had detected a mild tinge of sheer evil in them. Her eyes narrowed, but she did not comment. Instead she said, "I would appreciate it, Li-san, if you stopped calling me Princess. I'd expect it from most other outsiders, but considering the fact that you are, regrettably, going to spend a lot of time around me, Sakura will suit me perfectly."

Whatever Syaoran was anticipating, it wasn't that. He snapped his eyes away from hers and instead chose to look at the landscape outside the sprawling French windows. "I'm afraid that isn't possible, Princess," he said, finally. "My upbringing forbids me from being on such familiar terms with those I am bound by honour to protect." He shot her an amused look, while adding, "I am honoured, though, that you would choose to have me address you by first name so easily. I had no idea my effect on women was that powerful."

His words had the desired effect though. She shot him an incredibly disgusted look, before marching off into her room, making it a point to slam the connecting door as hard as she could. A corner of his mouth twisted up in a sardonic smile. _'It can't be that easy to get her riled up. The villagers wouldn't have been making such a huge fuss if it were so easy.'_

He frowned as he remembered his walk from the gates that allowed him entry into the Kinomoto country. Upon asking the villagers the way to the castle, they all looked at him like he was insane. Everyone had said the same thing. The Princess used to be an adorable, cheerful young girl, until suddenly, around seven years ago, something big had happened at the castle and the Princess was never the same again. She was always guarded, and she never smiled. She wouldn't express her feelings, as words or as facial expressions. Her anger, they said, was the worst. When she was ten years old, she would shout and scream the castle walls down, but it was over as quickly as it came. More importantly, it was all bark and no bite. After that day, however, it was very different. Her rage was quiet, coming off in waves, and she learnt how to use her anger to manipulate people to suit her will. Nobody wished to get on her bad side, but if she needed something, she would find a way to get it. Nobody had seen the Princess smile in years. The villagers were terribly sad, as they said her smile was incredibly warm, and gentle and made it seem like there was nothing to worry about in the world.

The villagers had also casually remarked that the country never used to be so cold. They noted a change only after the day the Princess stopped smiling. It was suspected that powerful magic was at work, tied somehow to the Princess and the kingdom. Much to Syaoran's ire, the villagers neither knew what had happened that fateful day seven years ago, neither did they know anything about the so-called power that the Princess possessed.

_'But they were very off track about her not being able to express herself. My ears still hurt from the door being slammed.'_

That reminded Syaoran that he was supposed to be around her all the time. He tried not to get irritated with the fact that he had to spend all his time around a frigid woman, with obvious emotional issues that she had to get off her chest. _'Not like I should talk about issues,'_ he thought bitterly.

Pushing aside the wave of self-pity and anger that usually accompanied thoughts like that, he grasped the cold handle of the door and pushed it open. He was met by a blast of cold air, and realised that the Princess was standing in the balcony, looking outside. He couldn't see her face, but by the sudden tensing of her back, he guessed that she had heard his entry. He wasn't remotely affected by her attitude towards him, and made his way to where she was standing.

"What do you want?" she bit out, the minute his foot landed on the balcony.

"Just doing my duty, your Majesty," he replied, calmly.

Sakura couldn't understand why she was letting him get under her skin so easily. On the rare chance that somebody did have the gall to disobey her, she usually ignored them until they went away. Something told her that such a simple tactic wouldn't work on somebody like him. She would have to think of something more effective.

She turned around to face him, and leaned casually against the railing of the balcony. She continued to look at their surroundings before sharply looking at him, and asking, "Li-san. Do you have a girlfriend back home?"

Syaoran started, and Sakura was deeply amused by the red that spread across his cheeks. He averted his gaze and stammered, "N-no, Princess." He looked back at her, and narrowed his eyes into slits when he saw the amount of fun she was having at his expense. _'She was... teasing? Oh, I'm going to get her back for that.'_ Smiling evilly now, he continued, with an innocent air about his face, "Forgive me, Princess. I didn't realise."

Confused, Sakura responded smartly with, "Huh?"

"I should have realised from earlier that the Princess was smitten with me. I apologise, but I do not tend to fall in love with - "

He was cut off as he saw what so many people before him had seen. All the expression drained right out of Sakura's face, and he thought he was insane for thinking that he saw actual barriers form around her, shielding herself from anymore verbal torment.

"I'm afraid I do not have time for such petty squabbles. If you will excuse me, I wish to bathe." She stopped to look back at him, seemingly stunned into place at the rapid transformation. "I have no doubt that you do not wish to follow me there."

He had no words, as she went into the connecting restroom, and ensured that both doors were securely locked.

**XXX**

When Tomoyo returned, with Sakura's freshly laundered garments in her arms, she was a little disturbed to see Syaoran sitting on the ground in between the two connecting doors, staring at the ground and looking like he was deep in thought. She placed the clothes carefully on Sakura's bed, figuring a maid would come in later to arrange them, and went over to sit by Syaoran. He gave her no indication that he had heard her enter, but when she was comfortably seated, he said, in a tight voice, "Villagers... in the countryside. They told me that the Princess hides behind her barriers." He looked up at her and she saw eyes swirling with conflict and confusion. "They wouldn't happen to mean literal barriers, would they?"

Tomoyo glanced at the bathroom door, and when she was satisfied that Sakura was still busy, she replied, softly, "They aren't literal barriers, Li-san. But if you happened to see her shift expressions, then I wouldn't blame you for thinking so."

Syaoran looked more confused than ever. "What happened here seven years ago?" he asked, slightly demanding.

Sakura wasn't the only one changing expressions fast. If Tomoyo was gentle two seconds ago, she was furious now. Gritting her teeth, she managed, "Never, **ever** ask Sakura that. If you like your life, you will not mention the fact that you know even that much about your past to her."

Shrinking in slight fear, he asked, "Why?"

Tomoyo seemed to inflate with anger, more than before. "Li-san, if you heard about the castle's past, I'm sure the villagers would have told you that Sakura has some sort of magical ability." She waited while he nodded slowly. _'I knew it. Damn village folk should know when to keep quiet about things that go on in here.'_ She glared at Syaoran, and went on, "Those aren't rumours. It's absolutely true that Sakura has magical powers." On seeing Syaoran's shocked look, she clucked her tongue and taunted, "What, you grew up in a family where they taught you that girls don't deserve magic?"

All traces of fear vanished from Syaoran's body. He sat up and, in a fluid motion, had his sword against her neck. "Who told you about my family?" he asked, in a lifeless whisper.

Tomoyo hitched her breath, careful not to scrape her neck too close to the blade of the sword, and said, "Nobody, Li-san. It was sarcasm. I slipped, I'm sorry." She tried to make her face look as genuine as possible; she didn't want to be decapitated on Sakura's floor. Blood stains were a bitch to take out.

Looking a little less tense, Syaoran dropped his sword, and mumbled an apology for something that sounded suspiciously like "overreacting". _'As long as he knows,'_ Tomoyo thought, rubbing her neck, making sure it was still on. "Anyway," she continued, as though uninterrupted, "Sakura's powers do exist, but they're latent and they tend to show up only, as one would expect, when she's extremely tense or distressed." She stopped to point at the climate outside – cold winds were blasting through what would have been a beautiful green forest. "You understand the weather now."

Syaoran nodded, and was about to ask Tomoyo something else, when he abruptly stopped. Noticing her curious glance, Syaoran motioned towards the restroom door. "She's coming out," he whispered.

That did nothing to satisfy her curiosity. _'His hearing's that good?'_ she marvelled.

It seemed so, for less than a minute later, the door opened, and Sakura stepped out, wearing little else than a fluffy, white towel that was wrapped around her torso, held up by just the one hand. It didn't do much good, though, leaving most of her legs and more than a quarter of her chest exposed to the unsuspecting boy sitting in the room. Tomoyo couldn't help but giggle at the pure shock on Syaoran's face, and briefly wondered if the day was turning out to be too eventful for him.

By the look on Sakura's face, she wasn't expecting him to be in her room, either. She ignored the rapid slashing motions that Syaoran was making and screamed, at the top of her lungs, "**Pervert!!**" and started to hit and slap every inch of male body that she could reach. She neglected to remember that it was her hand that was holding the towel up, and the instant she reached out to hit him, the flimsy piece of cloth fluttered to the ground.

Syaoran suddenly stopped moving, and stared at the towel that was lying haplessly on the floor. Nobody moved for a while, and he slowly moved his glance from the ground to the very naked Sakura standing in front of him. He had only reached her legs, when Tomoyo pressed a point on his neck, and he slumped down, unconscious.

Sakura, still very apprehensive, picked up the offensive towel, and wrapped it securely around her. She looked at Tomoyo and asked, a little scared, "Where did you learn to do that?"

Acting as though she had no idea of the effect her actions were having on the Princess, Tomoyo said cheerfully, "Oh, I noticed the guards kept pulling this trick on people who were trying to annoy the King. I asked them to teach me and they did!"

Making a silent note to never get on Tomoyo's bad side, Sakura made her way to her closet, to pick out clothes to wear for that day's dinner. She didn't notice Tomoyo look at her, with sad eyes, as she got dressed, turning every five seconds to ensure that her new bodyguard was still, indeed, unconscious.

"He's heard, you know," Tomoyo spoke up, gently.

Sakura wasn't paying full attention. "Hmmm? Who's heard what?"

Tomoyo stood up, and made her way to Sakura, helping her with the ties on the back of the dress she had chosen to wear. She indicated to the knocked out boy, and repeated, "He heard from the villagers. He knows something happened here, but he has no idea what."

Sakura's voice was still indifferent, but Tomoyo knew her words had struck a nerve; the back muscles behind the ties she was fastening became immeasurably more tense. "Oh? And what do you suppose I should do about it?"

Tomoyo saw the bait, and she stepped around it delicately. "It isn't my place to tell you what you should and shouldn't do, Sakura. I warned him not to mention it in your presence, but if he decides to be reckless..." Tomoyo sighed, hoping it would never have to come to that.

Turning around to face her friend, Sakura said timidly, "If that time comes, I might need your help. To keep it in." She floundered with her skirts a little, before adding vaguely, "The country doesn't need another debacle like last time."

Tomoyo's eyes sparkled in appreciation and she nodded swiftly. They both glanced back at Syaoran, and the dark-haired girl frowned. "He shouldn't be out for so long."

Sakura's nervousness was back. "Maybe you poked him too hard."

They both paused, and exploded with laughter at the sheer hilarity of that statement. A trained fighter being knocked down by a timid girl's poke in the neck. It was too much for them to take.

Syaoran decided to let them have their fun for a while longer. Tomoyo hadn't quite poked him in the right spot, and he was very interested in the conversation that the two women were having. _'Tomoyo helps subdue her, when her magic goes out of control?'_ All thoughts went out of his head, however, when he heard the Princess laugh. He was under the impression that nobody had seen her smile. But here it seemed like Daidouji was making her split her sides every other day. He made a note to ask her about it later, and went about acting like he had a splitting migraine from being knocked out, which only allowed the girls to make more fun of him. Instead of snapping back like he would have if his sisters had tried it, he just sat there, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

_'Am I going soft already?'_

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** I really shouldn't be updating this so soon. I'm setting unrealistic targets for myself. Oo' Oh well. :)

I would like to thank all the people who took the time out to review this story. It really means a lot to see that there are people who like what I'm writing, cuz I've never really been confident enough of my work to post it online. So big hugs to **AngelEmCuti, Acreyist, SilentCynara **and **parma-violets**. :) There's a small hint about Sakura's past in here, but it isn't big enough to give anything away :p That should be cleared up in.. another 3-4 chapters maybe? I'm working on this every night (instead of studying :p) so, **hopefully**, those chapters should be up in a couple of weeks, give or take a few days.

Enough with the long author's note. As usual, please drop a review if you liked... or, even if you didn't. DX

**Disclaimer:** Only in my wildest dreams will I own CCS instead of CLAMP.

* * *

Dinner that night was subdued, compared to the activity of the day. But, as Syaoran soon learnt, subdued dinners were to be expected at the Kinomoto castle. Touya sat at the head of the table, with Yue to his right. Sakura sat at the opposite end of the table, with Syaoran and Tomoyo flanking her on either side. Syaoran was a little surprised to note that there were no other inhabitants in the castle, and even less to discover that Sakura did not like sitting too close to her brother.

"Li-san, how do you find your stay here at the castle so far?" asked Yue, in an obvious attempt to break the uncomfortable silence.

Syaoran noticed that Sakura's knuckles turned white, and she gripped her knife a lot harder when she heard Yue speak, and answered, distractedly, "Oh, it was very eventful, thank you."

Touya seemed surprised at his response. "Eventful?" He raised an enquiring eyebrow. He did not trust this brat.

Mentally kicking himself for not realising what he was saying, he amended, carefully, "I was not expecting such a nice room to stay in, your Majesty. Neither was I expecting such hospitable treatment from Daidouji-san and the Princess."

Touya looked a little satisfied, but Yue's expression turned dark. "Hospitable, Li-san?"

"Err, yes, Yue-sama." Wondering what he had said wrong this time, he glanced at Tomoyo out of the corner of his eye, looking for answers, but she looked as clueless as he felt. He went on, "They were very kind."

"So all the screaming I heard earlier was part of the kindness?" Yue questioned. Touya frowned at him; he hadn't heard any screaming.

Sakura blanched at the towel incident and Tomoyo hurried to her rescue. "No, Yue-sama, that was my fault. I thought I had seen a rat running across the Princess's room and I had asked Li-san to help find it." She smiled brightly and said sheepishly, "I had completely forgotten that there were no rodent infestations here at the castle."

Both Touya and Yue appeared a little more at ease, and the three teenagers let out a breath of air that they didn't know they had been holding.

Under his breath, Syaoran muttered, "That was close. I have this feeling that the King might have used my own sword to kill me if he found out what actually happened."

Momentarily forgetting that she was at the dining table, Sakura giggled, too soft for the people at the opposite end of the table to hear. Syaoran looked surprised, but Tomoyo shot him a curious, yet grateful glance from across the table.

_'Maybe, just maybe, he'll be able to do it.'_

**XXX**

The next few weeks passed uneventfully, with no more threats coming from anywhere, and Sakura still fluctuating between her dominant cold disposition and her rare emotional outbursts. Though she didn't admit it to anyone, Tomoyo noticed that it was getting harder for Sakura to keep her emotions in check. She also noted, with a small grin, that it was getting a lot worse for Syaoran to keep his cold nature up, as he would occasionally show signs that he did actually care for the two girls, and he didn't wish that he was rid of them, as he so often used to say. In no small part did she think that the two were responsible for slowly, but steadily cracking the walls that they had so carefully constructed for themselves. She couldn't lie to herself and say that she was sad that changes were happening. She only hoped that the good changes would keep happening in the icy country.

Spring had turned to summer before anything of importance happened. Touya was still not comfortable with Syaoran's presence in the castle, as was Yue. But they, like Tomoyo, could not deny the changes that he was inflicting on their beloved Princess. Their only regret was that they couldn't be the ones who healed her. They never really considered it a possibility in any case; they played too big a role in the process that broke her heart, to even contemplate being part of the events that tried to heal it. What served to damage their already bruised egos further was the simple fact that Syaoran had no idea what he was doing; he was just going with the flow.

The first dinner night, at the dining table, when Syaoran had made Sakura laugh, he felt a curious sensation in his stomach, that he had dismissed as incapacitating hunger at the time. However, over the course of the next few months, he realised that every time he saw the Princess's real nature, the one she let slip when she accidentally let her guard drop, the strange fluttery feeling kept coming back.

Little did he know that the same Princess was going through the same butterfly effect every time he spoke to her as an equal. Syaoran had an annoying tendency to talk down to Sakura, like she was inferior to him in some way. At times, though, he would treat her like a normal person, and discuss the little things in life, like his favourite food and colours. They were hardly topics of great intellectual stimulation, but she felt herself melt every time it happened.

She also noticed, after his first week in the castle, that Syaoran was incredibly well-built. It had to do with a certain incident involving a walk-in when Syaoran was showering. He had, by pure chance, forgotten to lock her side of the door, and she was too sleepy to hear the noise of the showerhead. There was no steam involved either, as Syaoran had a crazy love for biting cold water. Needless to say, Sakura was very embarrassed by what had happened, even more so than Syaoran. But that didn't mean that she hadn't gotten a good look while she was there.

And she definitely liked what she saw.

It wasn't just his body (although that did help, quite a bit) that she found painfully attractive. Delicate features about his face that she had failed to notice earlier, suddenly jumped out at her like big flashing signs, and they made her wonder how she could have been so blind as to ignore them. His eyes, for instance. Granted, they were as impassive as hers were, on most days. But whenever he talked about something he loved, like sword-fighting or cherry blossom trees, there would be an animated sparkle in his eyes that she couldn't get enough of. The usually hard planes of his face smoothened immediately when he let his guard down, and he looked ten years younger.

She sighed, breaking out of her Syaoran-filled trance, and absently looked at the door to the bathroom. _'Shower's still running. Why does he take so long? I'm getting a little bored here, all by myself.'_

She grimaced as she replayed her thoughts in her head. She sounded like a love-sick little girl who couldn't do without the object of her affections. She shook her head rapidly, to dispel the thoughts. _'It isn't like that. I don't even like him that much, __forget__ love.'_ She started to pace around her room, not paying attention to her surroundings. Tomoyo was busy with some work that Sakura had no idea about. She didn't want to talk to anybody else in the castle.

She stopped suddenly and flopped on her bed. _'This is ridiculous,'_ she chastised herself. _'I am a princess. I have to have __**some**__ work to do around here, instead of waiting for my protector to entertain me.'_ She gave up trying to figure out if there **was** something she could do and chose to close her eyes, trying to avoid the thoughts that usually plagued her, whenever she did choose to rest in the middle of the day.

_"No! Nii-chan, don't do it!"_

_"Hush, Sakura. Let your brother do what he must."_

_"But I don't want him to go!" A tiny voice could be heard shrieking. "Otou-san, tell him to stop!"_

_There was a flash of blinding white light – _

There was a 'thump' on her bed as a weight dropped down next to her. She didn't open her eyes, but she could feel that somebody was looking straight at her. Green met amber and she tried not to smile. _'Trust him to save me from thinking about what I want to avoid, without even realising that he's saving me,'_ Sakura thought gently.

"Oi. Tell whatever's possessed you to jump out of your body."

Sakura started. Confused, she asked, "Huh?"

Syaoran shook his head in amusement. "You were staring at me." Still confused. He clarified, "You don't generally stare at me, do you? You like your men... I have no idea how you like your men," he finished, rather lamely.

Staring at him, Sakura deadpanned, "Rare."

Syaoran snorted, and Sakura gave up the fight against her smile. It was a lot easier to be herself around him, though she didn't know why. Even when Tomoyo was around, she wasn't as comfortable as she was when she was alone with him. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that they were, by no accidental circumstance, constantly around each other all the time.

She turned sideways to look at him straight, and asked, "What do we do today, Li-san?"

Syaoran looked thoughtful. "I'm not sure, Princess. How about we try to kill each other?"

"Oh, my!" Sakura exclaimed, shocked. "You've been plotting against me the entire time, haven't you?"

Crushed, Syaoran spat out, "You discovered my plan too soon. I will have to annihilate you for sure now, because my actual target is Daidouji!"

Genuinely peeved now, Sakura said, "Syaoran no baka. You aren't supposed to call her Daidouji. It should be 'My former love, Tomoyo'!"

"It feels odd saying that about her," Syaoran countered, frowning. "If it were some other girl, then maybe..." he looked at her suggestively as he spoke.

All he got for his efforts was a solid punch to his shoulder. "Pervert," she muttered, blushing heavily.

Syaoran grinned and fell flat on Sakura's bed. He looked at her and drawled, lazily, "Do we really have to do something constructive today? Your bed's kinda soft." He frowned and jumped up and down on the bed a few more times, as if to confirm something. His eyes widened with the realisation. "Oi, Sakura!"

She was watching him carefully throughout his 'research' and, at the sound of her name, she met his gaze expectantly. "Yes?"

"Your bed is softer than mine is."

Sakura stared at him, willing him to be joking about what he was talking about, but he looked very serious. Finally, she managed, "You're kidding, right?"

"I know, it isn't fair, is it?" Grumbling, Syaoran got up. "So much for hospitality."

She almost fell off the bed at that. Struggling to regain her composure, Sakura said, "You know, you can always sleep here."

"That would be taking my orders a little too literally," Syaoran replied, jokingly. He missed the flicker of hurt that crossed Sakura's face.

She didn't say anything after that, and Syaoran stared at her curiously. She was looking at the floor, and she seemed a little upset. He wanted to ask her why, but he was beginning to get captivated by her delicate features, and her hair that billowed slightly from the wind that came in through the balcony. Her eyes, even though they were sad, were so beautiful. He wished he could see them sparkle all the time, but he knew that she wouldn't let herself be happy in front of anybody else. He couldn't understand it, and she didn't offer an explanation. He respected her privacy and chose to harass her about it later.

For now, he was starting to get a little worried at the look on her face, and the fact that she wasn't talking. His Sakura – the one he had gotten to know in the last few months – did not know how to shut up, even when it would have been better for her to keep quiet. The Sakura he was friends with definitely didn't look sad, not around him. _'Friends?__ Is that what we are now?'_ He supposed it was possible. Somehow, somebody had blessed the youngest son of the Li clan with a friend.

He raised one hand and gently placed it on his friend's cheek. She was startled at the contact, that much was obvious. She turned to look at him again, and he saw that her eyes were shining bright. _'Unnaturally bright,'_ he thought, before it hit him.

"Sakura," he began, moving closer to her. "Please don't cry." Her upset was affecting him. The hand that was on her cheek made slow, soothing circles, and his other hand found its way to her back, and made similar motions there. Without realising it, he had embraced the small princess, and for some reason she burst into tears.

Confused beyond words now, Syaoran kept rubbing slow circles on her back and stroked her hair, marvelling at the softness. _'This isn't the time for your stupidity, baka!'_ He gently tried asking her, "What happened, Sakura? Please, tell me what's wrong." He heard her sniffle and mumble something, and when she realised that he couldn't hear, she pushed herself away from him. He immediately missed the warmth.

He looked at her in concern, and wondered what had happened to make her so upset that red blotches appeared on her flawless skin and red seeped into the whites of her eyes.

Still sniffing, Sakura asked, brokenly, "Am I that repulsive that you wouldn't want to stay in the same room as me?"

It took him a while to understand what she was talking about, and when he did figure it out, all he wanted to do initially, was kick himself into oblivion. Chanting _'Baka!'_ in his head like a mantra to make his idiocy dissolve into nothing, he answered quietly, "Sakura, you are anything but repulsive to me." She sniffed again, but something told him that it was just for appearance's sake. "I just meant that your brother or his winged friend wouldn't like it too much if I started sleeping here."

At the mention of the two older men, Sakura's tears froze, along with the rest of her body. Syaoran winced, as he saw the barriers go up again. Reciting his mantra with renewed vigour, he said, hastily, "No, no, no Sakura, please don't go back in there." She surveyed him coldly. Desperate, he grabbed both of her hands, and pleaded, "Please Sakura, not now. We're alone and I don't get to talk to you so freely when the others are around. And I know you may not know it, but I really like the fact that you're yourself around me and not around anyone else." He checked to see if his speech was working, and he would have cried at the impact that it did not have.

Sakura felt awful about making him beg, but she didn't have a choice. She didn't know how to tell him that the 'others' that he mentioned were standing in the doorway behind him. Thankfully, they couldn't hear a word, since he was talking too softly. _'But how do I tell him to let go of me, without betraying some emotion?' _She was in a fix, and she knew it.

Tomoyo was like a guardian angel, sometimes.

She broke the silence by asking, timidly, "Err, Syaoran-kun?"

Syaoran, already affected by the hurt that he had caused Sakura, stiffened further on hearing Tomoyo's voice. He sat up a little straighter so that Sakura was blocked from view, and stared at her enquiringly.

'King, Winged friend, Tomoyo,' she mouthed back in reply.

He nodded imperceptibly, and she winced as she saw **his** barriers put firmly back in place. The light died out of his eyes and he dropped her hands like she was the embodiment of a terminal illness. Syaoran stood up, smiled at Sakura slightly, before turning around to face the music.

Snapping out of his haze, Touya demanded roughly, "What the hell were you doing with my sister?"

"She was telling me about a book that she had been reading," replied Syaoran, calmly. "She wished to act out a particularly endearing scene, and I was obliged to respect her wishes. I believe that is one of my duties, as assigned by Daidouji-san."

Yue glanced sharply at Tomoyo to see if this was true, and he was slightly disappointed to see her nodding vehemently. _'I would have liked an excuse to dispose of this brat.'_

Touya glanced over at his sister, and sighed, sad to see that her expression hadn't wavered a bit during the entire exchange. He asked her slowly, "Sakura, are you okay? He didn't try anything funny, did he?"

Syaoran almost trembled in anger. _'Bastard.__ Why would I try anything funny? You assigned me to protect her, not to molest her so that you can be the knight in shining armour.'_ Syaoran didn't know why he was getting so worked up. All he knew was that he didn't like the King's implications one bit.

Neither, it appeared, did Sakura. She looked at her older brother in thinly veiled disgust. "Nii-sama called Li-san here to protect me from external threats. And now you believe that I need protecting from him?"

It was the slightest, faintest shadow of the kind of anger Sakura used to express before. Syaoran frowned when he realised that she wasn't sending him on the guilt trip to hell, and Tomoyo was in shock at the realisation that Sakura was very close to a screaming fit. _'Only because the King insulted Syaoran-kun?'_ Tomoyo tried not to smile at all the future possibilities.

Before Touya could say anything further, Yue intervened, apologetically, "On behalf of the King, I apologise, Sakura-hime. He had no right - "

"I think my brother can speak for himself," Sakura cut across, shortly.

Yue's eyes widened a fraction, and he immediately bowed deeply. His mind, however, was not silent. _'She spoke up so strongly, even though her face still remained the same.'_ He glanced angrily at the boy. _'Just how much has she changed because of him?'_

Touya didn't apologise to anybody. He shot one last look at Sakura and Syaoran, and walked out of the room with Yue, slamming the door shut behind them. Tomoyo waited for a few minutes, and opened the door to ensure that they weren't spying from the hallway. She locked the door and turned to face her two now-impassive companions. She gazed at them for a few minutes, content, before she squealed.

Sakura exchanged nervous looks with Syaoran and asked Tomoyo, cautiously, "Tomoyo? What happened?"

Tomoyo stopped abruptly and looked at them like they were from a different planet. "What happened?" she repeated, in a daze. A little more emphatically, "What happened?" She paused to glare at the two. "I should be asking you that!"

More nervous looks. Tomoyo huffed. "Stop doing that. I want to know what is going on between the two of you, and why it looked like Syaoran-kun was going to cry because Sakura was hurt."

Syaoran was stumped. _'I had no idea she was that perceptive.'_ He then berated himself. _'She has to be sharp if she can catch the slightest changes in Sakura's appearance. __Baka.__ What are you going to say now?'_

Sakura looked a little less agonised than her protector. She had known she wouldn't be able to hide things from Tomoyo forever. She looked at Syaoran, hoping he wouldn't be too upset, and she tried not to let herself feel too bad either, as she shared the one secret she had hoped she could keep with her for ages to come.

"Syaoran... accepted his duties," Sakura allowed, reluctantly. She bit her lip, praying Tomoyo would understand and save her the trauma of having to explain something that she considered very personal.

Luck was not on her side that day, for Tomoyo looked baffled. She stared from the young girl, who was trying to tell her something, to the boy standing a few feet behind her, bangs shrouding his eyes again, and gripping his sword like it was his lifeline. _'What on earth is going on in here? Why are they acting like the world's crashing around their feet?'_

The brown-haired young man appreciated his Princess's attempt to reveal, and at the same time, conceal their story, but he could tell that Daidouji couldn't tell head from tail. He barked a soft, mirthless laugh before raising his eyes to Sakura and saying, "It's all right, Princess. Tell her."

Stung, Sakura bit down on her lip so hard that she drew blood. _'Princess, again, is it?'_ she thought bitterly. She didn't despair, though. She was too far gone to feel too much remorse. _'After all, they all do tend to leave...'_

She realised Tomoyo was still staring at her, waiting for an explanation. She continued, all emotion gone from her voice, "What I meant was, Syaoran here accepted the duties that you assigned to him. He, in the last few months, befriended me, and we have been getting along very well since."

It dawned on Tomoyo that she shouldn't have pressed the issue. Whatever it was that they had, whether friendship or companionship during times of loneliness or something much bigger than that, it was very obviously dear to them both. _'And only them both.__ Oh, Tomoyo, for someone who prides themselves on being sharp, you sure can be dense sometimes.'_ She sighed deeply, and raised a hand to stop Sakura from continuing. She gave both of them an intense look and said, remorsefully, "I don't want to know."

Syaoran wasn't expecting that, and from the frown on Sakura's face, she wasn't either. He asked hesitatingly, "Daidouji-san, are you sure?"

She looked irritated at that. She waved a careless hand, and said, "Tomoyo's fine, Syaoran-kun. And yes, I'm sure. Atleast, I am now." Seeing that they were the confused ones now, she smiled a little and went on, "I must admit, I was curious when I first came in. It's not everyday that you see the two frostiest people you know looking over the moon." She giggled at their twin blushes, and raised a hand to her lips, to stop herself. "But, when you started talking about it, Sakura," she was just subdued now, all earlier traces of laughter gone. "I didn't want to take away something that belonged exclusively to you. I'm happy seeing you happy, Sakura, and that's all I want."

Sakura was too moved to say anything, but Tomoyo saw the tears in her eyes and Syaoran noted that she was poised a little awkwardly. Smiling to himself, he leaned over towards her and gave her a gentle push, which was all Sakura needed to give Tomoyo the biggest hug of her life. She heard Sakura sniffling a little, but could feel her smiling, and mumbling, "Thank you, Tomoyo" over and over again. She patted Sakura's hair a little awkwardly, and gave Syaoran a warning glance. _'Hurt her and Touya using your sword to kill you will be the least of your worries, I promise.'_ He nodded gently, and said softly, "I wouldn't dream of it."

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: **Will stop updating so often soon, I swear. I'm already starting to get stuck. -.-

**Disclaimer:** Talk to CLAMP.

* * *

Later that evening, Syaoran was sitting on his bed, wondering what to do with himself. Tomoyo seemed to be randomly disappearing a lot, especially for the last few months, and Sakura was bathing. _'As usual,'_ he grumbled. Dinner wasn't for another hour and a half, at least, and he couldn't do anything about it – he was bored out of his skull.

He flopped backwards and wiggled until his head hit the pillow. He turned to his left and held his sword loosely in his hands, drawing his knees to his stomach. His eyes drifted shut, and all he saw was her. She was so different around him, and the thought that she was comfortable enough around him to let all her complex barriers down made his head spin. _'Even Daidouji doesn't get that kind of treatment from her and she's been around here a whole lot longer.'_ His mind took him back to the day she had tired of titles.

_They were on her floor bickering as usual, about the first topic that had come to mind._

_"Princess, the thought is ridiculous," Syaoran said, emphatically. "There is no way that a rodent as tiny as the one you described could have survived such cold conditions." He saw her eyes narrow, as a response formulated in her head, but he didn't give her the chance to retort. "And, even if it did find a way to live, how do you suppose it found its way up here?"_

_Sakura blinked, and replied, huffily, "I don't know, Li-san. Maybe some baka put it in here."_

_Syaoran grinned. "No offence, Princess, but no baka is idiotic enough to venture up into your room, without permission and carrying a rodent." She stuck her tongue out at him, and his grin got wider._

_Without warning, Sakura fell flat on the floor, face down, and he worried for a minute, before realising that it was intentional. He lay down opposite her and propped his head up using his hands. Sakura stared at __him,__ and he didn't look away, even though her gaze was a little unsettling. Finally, he said, his voice a little husky, "Is something the matter, Princess?"_

_She frowned very deeply, and he didn't like that. Frowns marred her face, he felt, and in all honesty, he liked seeing her smile. It did something to him that he couldn't explain without sounding like a girl from a fairytale. He looked at her questioningly when no response came. He tapped her arm and repeated, "Princess?"_

_Sakura sat up, in a quick sudden motion. She turned away from him and looked at the door that connected to his room. He followed her gaze and sighed in disappointment, thinking she wanted him to leave. He was about to get up, when the sound of her voice stopped him. "Stop calling me that."_

_Confused, Syaoran sat up and asked, "Stop calling you what, Princess?"_

_She whirled around and nearly caught him in the face with the arm that she was using to motion at nothing in particular. "That! '__Princess'__! Stop calling me that." Her declaration only served to increase his confusion. She drooped like a wilted flower, seeing that he wasn't __understanding__. She continued, timidly, a ghost of her previous intensity, "We aren't strangers anymore, are we? __To address each other so formally?"_

_Syaoran smiled gently at the innocent girl, who was beginning to wish she wasn't having this __conversation__. Taking her hand and catching her off-guard, he said, "No, we aren't." She smiled beatifically at him, and he thought that if he died then, he'd be the happiest man ever. Mentally __shaking himself before he got carried away, he went on, "But if I am to call you by first name, then you are to do the same to me."_

_Sakura's eyes widened in happiness.__ She wasn't expecting him to return the favour. __She nodded simply, too joyous to say much else._

_Syaoran cleared his throat and blushed lightly. He stood up, still holding her hand in his. "Well then, how about we go find that rodent you were talking about... __Sakura?"__ He marvelled at the ease with which her name rolled off his tongue and tried not to grin like an idiot._

_Sakura wasn't attempting to be even half as brave. She was sure he could see all her teeth, and she didn't care. He called her by first name! She couldn't understand why it meant so much to her. Maybe it was because he was the first person to talk to her without worrying that she was going to retreat back into her safe-house at any time or fearing that she might fly off her handle. Maybe it was because he was the first boy to give her the time of the day, and treat her like she was something important. She didn't know what it was, but the feeling she got from Syaoran was one of peace, security and comfort. _'Like how a home should feel,'_ she realised. _

_She stood up as well, and entwined her hand around his, so that their fingers were interlaced. Making no effort to control the flush that spread across her cheeks, she replied, giddily, "Anything you say... __Syaoran."_

He smiled in his dream-like state and wished he could wrap his arms around her and be that way for the rest of his life. He knew he had never felt anything like that back at home, with his family. _'It's impossible to be happy around them,'_ he grunted mentally. But with her, it was like he was on a perpetual high, where he paused to come down only when she wasn't around him. Even when they weren't alone, and she was the cold, guarded, ice bitch that everyone loved to psychoanalyse, he was still on his own high. Her mere presence was intoxicating to him. The way she smelled, like the cherry blossoms that she was named after, almost drove him to insanity when he was in close proximity to her.

Sighing, and trying to get more comfortable on his bed, Syaoran thought, _'I suppose I don't think of her as my friend anymore. I doubt normal people dream about their friends in very... compromising situations.'_ Thanking all the Gods there were that Sakura couldn't read minds or dream walk, he rolled over, and inhaled the sweet, delightful smell of cherry blossoms and went back on his high. _'Wait a minute. __Cherry blossoms?'_

His eyes shot open and his body followed suit less than a second later. Sakura giggled at the response she was eliciting from him, and laughed out loud at the dazed expression on his face. She leaned over to him, and rubbed his cheek, where a spot of dirt had lodged itself. "Mou, Syaoran was having fun dreams, huh?"

He looked at her in bewilderment, being careful to conceal his shock. _'She can't possibly dream walk...'_

Noticing the nature of his stare, she smiled lightly and said, "You were making weird noises. Figured you were dreaming of your girlfriend back home." Giggling again as she heard him growl, Sakura crawled onto his bed, and seated herself next to him. With a mischievous twinkle in her eye that he couldn't see from his angle, she linked her arm through his and pulled them both backwards onto the pillows.

Syaoran was in too much shock to formulate any kind of appropriate response, when Sakura mused aloud, "You were right. My bed is much softer."

He snorted, and said, "Damn straight."

Thwacking his arm, Sakura asked, regarding him curiously, "How come you didn't hear me come in? Last I checked, your hearing is amazing."

Avoiding the compliment, Syaoran mumbled, "I dozed off." Turning to mock glare at her, he went on, "I was having a pretty good dream, too. Until somebody had to come in and spoil it for me." He stuck his tongue out at her, and smirked contentedly at the roof of the bed.

She rolled her eyes. "Syaoran baka, I heard you mumble my name. I can't spoil a dream that I was in, now can I?"

He looked at her carefully from the corner of his eye. He hadn't realised that he was talking aloud. Blushing heavily as the implication of her words set in, he stammered, "Err, I'm sorry if that offended you..."

Thwack number two. Syaoran winced. "That hurt a little, you know."

Sakura ignored him. She turned to face him and said, seriously, "What were you thinking about?"

He sighed in defeat. He wasn't getting out of this one. "I was thinking about the day with the rodent hunting," he replied, evasively. But Sakura understood. She smiled at him, and leaned in a little closer. He stared at her, wondering what she was upto, but her expression looked completely genuine – was that ... adoration?

Before he could question her, a loud gong sounded from downstairs, and both of them fell off opposite sides of the bed, startled beyond their wits. They had just regained their bearings when another loud noise came from downstairs – a voice, this time.

"Dinner will be served in half an hour! The Princess and her guardian from the Li clan are requested to dress formally, as guests will be arriving this evening!"

There was a vein that was twitching above Sakura's eye. Glancing at her nervously, Syaoran said, "We should probably get ready, yeah?" He frowned when he realised Sakura wasn't listening.

_'I hate that stupid brother of mine,' _Sakura thought angrily. _'Who does he think he is ringing that bell like that? Just when I was about to... UGH!'_

She seemed to realise that Syaoran was looking at her, and had obviously asked her something. She smiled at him, a little falsely, and said, "I'm sorry, Syaoran, what was that?"

Syaoran shook his head. "Never mind. Is Tomoyo going to be coming up now?"

Sakura looked thoughtful and replied, slowly, "No, I don't think so. She seems pretty busy these days." Sakura was a little sad at the distance between the two girls, but she was glad that Syaoran was around to make it up. "Why do you ask?"

"You need help with those weird strings on the backs of your dresses, right?" He raised an eyebrow at her when her face exploded. _'One of these days, I'm not sure her face is going to recover from all the blushing.'_

Sakura stammered and mumbled incoherently and looked everywhere except at Syaoran, and then finally brought her gaze back to him, to ensure that he was being serious. Confirming her suspicions that he was, indeed, very serious, Sakura nodded.

Syaoran nodded as well. "Good," he said. "Pick out something and I'll help. Then I'll get ready and we can go down together."

Not trusting herself to say something smart, she ran to her wardrobe, already knowing in her mind what she was going to wear. She glanced backwards to see that Syaoran had not followed her in. _'He's waiting for me to wear the dress first,' _she realised, not sure if she was relieved or disappointed. She looked at the garment in her hands, a blood red gown, much like her usual clothes, except the bodice fitted much tighter, as did the sleeves until her elbow. _'And,'_ she thought wickedly, _'There are a lot more ties on this one, than on any other.'_

She hastily discarded her current outfit, and slipped into the new one for dinner. She had completely neglected to close the connecting door between the two rooms, and was unaware of two amber eyes that were clouded over with what could only be described as burning passion. He felt a little guilty, peeping in on her this way, but something in him had propelled him to the joining door, the instant he realised that she hadn't bothered to shut it. He clenched his fists at the sight of her creamy white skin and the maroon fabric rustling up her body, like a rivulet of blood flowing the wrong way.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when she called out for him, in a meek voice that was so unlike her. Syaoran, trying to clear the fog in his eyes, stepped slowly into her room and gasped in surprise at the task that lay ahead of him.

Her entire back lay exposed to him, with the arch of the dress barely reaching the end of the spine. Hanging from either side were tens and tens of tiny ribbons that he had to tie in some unfathomable pattern across her back. _'Probably the only time I'm grateful I have so many sisters.'_ He took a step towards her, but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw her expression reflected in the mirror in front of her.

Her eyes had been following his every movement, every single reaction and the same look from earlier in his room was back. The look that spoke volumes about the way she was feeling, and the thoughts that were racing through her mind, all of which were about the boy standing behind her. She had long since dismissed the possibility that she only thought of him as a friend or a companion. _'I doubt I would have been so annoyed with all the people interrupting us if I thought he was just another person to talk to,'_ Sakura reflected. Now she was only doubtful about his feelings towards her, although the fact that he had been thinking about her when she wasn't around mollified her a little.

Sakura gasped slightly as she felt a cool hand on the small of her back. She hadn't noticed him come up behind her; _'Too caught up in your thoughts to notice such... important... details...'_ Her train of thought derailed as the sensations that his touch was causing ignited the depths of her soul, and caused that strange fluttery sensation again. Only this time, it was magnified to such an extent that Sakura found it hard to breathe. She didn't know that it was possible to feel so much from so little contact.

Syaoran didn't take advantage of the situation that he was in, even though his body – and hers, if her reactions were any sign to go by – demanded that he seize the opportunity that was presented before him. Her skin was softer than silk, and his hands, rough and calloused from years of intense training, ached to touch more of her. He slowly reached for the lowest set of ties and worked his way up her back, his knuckles grazing her back on several occasions, each time eliciting a different version of the same response from the Princess – a small gasp and a barely perceptible inclination towards his hands. _'Looks like she's enjoying this more than I am,'_ Syaoran smirked.

He wasn't prepared for the hand that came up to rest gently against his cheek, as he finished tying the last of the bows on her back. Syaoran sighed and smiled softly, leaning into her hand, while placing his own on the nape of her neck. They were small, comparatively insignificant touches, but they meant the world to the two teenagers, who were lost in the multitude of feelings and sensations that their new, shared experience was bringing to them.

So caught up were they in their own little fantasy world, that they failed to notice a pair of cold, grey eyes observing them from the adjoining room. _'Che,'_ thought Yue in disgust. _'They're acting like a couple of pups in heat.'_ His heated expression cleared up, however, when he thought of the guests that were arriving for dinner that night. He smiled sardonically and left Syaoran's room as silently as he had entered. _'Touya,'_ he thought, right before taking his eyes off the two, _'I'm not too sure you're going to like this.'_

**XXX**

"Idiot, idiot, idiot."

Tomoyo was fuming and all her rage was directed at herself. "I was so busy preparing for tonight's dinner that I forgot to help Sakura get dressed," she grumbled to herself, while taking the stairs up to the Princess's room as fast as she could. "Some maid slash best friend you turned out to be, leaving her alone so much."

She received curious stares from the other servants, who were cleaning up the first floor of the castle, which she ignored as she hurried to Sakura's room. _'Obviously they think I'm insane.'_ She sighed; what the smaller helpers of the castle thought of her were the least of her problems. She was out of breath by the time she reached the two doors, and was a little curious about the fact that Syaoran's door was wide open. _'That isn't like him,' _she frowned.

Forgetting about Syaoran for the moment, she ran the remaining few steps to Sakura's room and gently pushed open the door. It was surprisingly unlocked; Sakura had taken to locking her door recently, and Tomoyo was forced to knock every time she needed to speak to the Princess about something. Nothing in Tomoyo's wildest dreams could have prepared her for the sight that she witnessed on entering Sakura's room.

Sakura was dressed completely in Tomoyo's favourite red gown, and she seemed to be resting against Syaoran, who had his hands on her shoulders and was slowly stroking the bare skin around her neck. Tomoyo's jaw dropped when she realised that Sakura wasn't just allowing him to touch her, she was relishing the attention, and ... she was reciprocating? The hand on Syaoran's face was making slow, but undoubtedly gentle movements, Tomoyo found. _'This is what they've been doing cooped up in here all day?'_ She didn't know whether to be happy or dismayed.

Something about Syaoran's grip on Sakura changed, and she frowned. She glanced at him briefly in the mirror, only to see that his eyes were – yet again – covered by his hair. Turning around to find out what had happened, Sakura's gaze landed on the still figure of Tomoyo by the door. She couldn't do anything about the blush when she realised Tomoyo had seen them or the incredible loss she felt when the warmth of Syaoran's hands was no longer on her shoulders.

Trying not to look like she was about to cry, Sakura mumbled, "Tomoyo... What are you doing here?"

Tomoyo's thoughts were too jumbled for her to form a coherent sentence. _'Sakura doesn't know a thing about Syaoran's past... What is she thinking, jumping into things like this?'_ Tomoyo was trying to gauge Syaoran's reaction to her interruption, but he turned abruptly and stormed off into his room, slamming and locking the connecting door. A few moments later, another slam followed, indicating that the main door to his room was locked as well.

Tomoyo felt her heart break at the sadness that was etched on every line of Sakura's face. But her earlier thoughts came rushing back to her, and she couldn't keep it in any longer. She went to Sakura's side and grabbed her arm. The Princess looked a little startled at the force behind Tomoyo's grip. "What is it?" she asked softly.

Sakura would have flinched at the fury in Tomoyo's aura, if she hadn't been to overcome by sadness at the fact that they had been interrupted. _'Again,'_ she thought unhappily. _'Right when it was about to get so much better...'_

"What on earth were you thinking, Sakura?" Tomoyo's sharp tone brought her back into focus.

Confused, Sakura repeated, "What was I thinking? About what?"

"You don't know anything about him!" she hissed. "What do you know about his past, and why he came here, even though he's so young? And what about his family? Don't tell me you haven't noticed how evasive he is about them."

Sakura set her mouth in a stubborn line. "I don't care about his past or his family," she countered strongly. "All I know is that he's been treating me normally, if anything with more respect than I get from anyone else at this castle." She paused, as though considering something and went on, "He definitely doesn't try to force me out of my shell. He just waits for it to happen on its own."

Tomoyo was surprised at the defensive stance Sakura was taking, but grimly realised that it was to be expected. She asked the Princess, in a softer tone, "You might not care about his past, Sakura, but what about yours?"

The determined look on Sakura's face told Tomoyo that she still didn't care. The maid sighed, trying not to lose hope. "Sakura," she pushed on, "it wouldn't be fair to either of you to go on with this. Not until you come clean about what happened seven years..."

She stopped as Sakura glared at her. "I will tell him."

Tomoyo looked disbelieving. "When?"

"When the time is right." Tomoyo shot her a sceptical look, and Sakura said, "You don't get it, Tomoyo. I like the way things are right now. I don't want stupid issues from the past creeping up and destroying the peace." Seeing that Tomoyo was about to say something, Sakura raised a hand, and continued, "I know. Things might be better if I told him about ... it. But I don't want to risk losing what we have – whatever it may be – on the off chance that things might not get better." She looked at her best friend pleadingly. "Just... give me some time, Tomoyo-chan. I won't disappoint you."

Tomoyo looked as if she was about to cry. But whether out of frustration or because she was pleased with Sakura remained a mystery. She went over to Sakura to hug her and smiled at the efficient knots on the back of her dress. She giggled slightly and commented, "Syaoran-kun sure knows how to fix a gown." Chuckling more at the red that dotted her friend's face, she said slowly, "Speaking of whom, he seemed pretty angry earlier, didn't he?"

Before Sakura could answer, the bathroom door shook in its frame a little and then opened with a loud bang. Said angry man was standing in the doorway, looking as though he wanted to do nothing except strangulate something.

Tomoyo was undaunted by the murderous expression on his face. Cheerfully, she greeted, "Hello there, Syaoran-kun! I'm sorry about earlier." She swallowed the laughter that was close to spilling, when she saw the same blush that earlier graced Sakura's face, now sitting square on Syaoran.

"Whatever," he muttered grumpily, but his expression softened. "Is it time to go downstairs for dinner yet?"

Seeing Tomoyo nod, Syaoran tried not to groan. He really hated the dinners at the castle. There was no freedom to talk or breathe loudly. And dinner was the one time he could never see Sakura happy._'And this stupid clothes. Who could be so important that we have to dress up to eat?'_

He was so busy cursing everything into the next life, that he didn't notice Sakura look him up and down appreciatively. His overcoat fitted him perfectly, with the tails flaring on either side with remarkable elegance, and his clean white undershirt set off the contrast tremendously – too well for Sakura's liking, for she didn't want their dinner guests to be too impressed with his appearance. _'They can't have what's already taken,'_ she thought wickedly, before reeling at her thoughts. _'Taken?'_

Tomoyo wasn't going downstairs. She kept glancing at the wall clock every few seconds, and it was making Syaoran jittery. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. "Tomoyo, what the hell are we waiting for?"

Tomoyo jumped, looking frazzled. "Syaoran-kun, don't scare me like that." Neither Sakura nor Syaoran mentioned that they had been standing there all along, waiting for her to take them downstairs. "An announcement has to be made bef-"

The said announcement cut her off. "Presenting the Princess of Kinomoto country, Kinomoto Sakura-hime, along with her assistants, Daidouji Tomoyo-san and Li Syaoran-san from the Li clan."

Sakura was baffled. "Why are they announcing our entry into my own dining room?"

"No time to explain, Sakura. We have to hurry!" Motioning to Syaoran that he should grab Sakura, Tomoyo ran out of the door. Sakura and Syaoran exchanged apprehensive glances before he firmly caught hold of her hand, and pulled her out of the room.

"Syaoran, I can walk by myself you know," Sakura chided, playfully.

He merely grunted in reply, and shot her an intense look that made her knees feel like they were made of water. She tripped slightly, and fell straight into the arms of her protector. Gazing up at him admiringly, Sakura said, "What will I do without you, Syaoran?"

His earlier stare paled in comparison to the heat coming from the way he looked at her now. Instead of acknowledging her compliment, he muttered huskily, "I will finish what we started back there, Sakura. I promise you that." Her eyes were shining in anticipation. Licking her lips that suddenly felt unusually dry, Sakura choked out, "Until then, I'll be waiting."

He nodded jerkily and released her from his hold, instead opting to gently lace her hand through his. Smiling at the radiance emanating from Sakura, he walked her down the hall and to the room that they both dreaded with all their might.

* * *

**AN: **Well, I don't see the next chapter looking so good for them. (evil grin) And don't hate Tomoyo, she's just looking out for Sakura. After all, something did happen seven years ago... :p 


	5. Chapter 5

**AN:** I wanted to submit something today, and I couldn't add anything more to the chapter to make it longer. So, short chapter this time. But the next chapter should be done soon, and will most likely be up tomorrow :)  
Lots of love to the people who took the time out to review my story. I'm beyond flattered that you guys like it so much :) SS ftw and I hope I can finish the next chapter by tomorrow. XD

**Disclaimer: **Sakura, Syaoran and all the others are CLAMP's masterpieces.

* * *

They met a distressed Tomoyo at the doorway that lead to the dining room. Sakura was puzzled to see that the huge iron doors, usually left open, were shut tight. She asked quizzically, "Tomoyo, why are the doors locked?"

Wringing her hands, she replied, "They aren't locked. Your brother and Yue-san are talking privately to the guests. They asked us to wait here until they were finished."

"Then why announce our arrival?" Syaoran frowned, not liking where this was going.

Tomoyo looked downright scared now. _'I can't tell him that the King knows what was going on upstairs. Who knows how angry he might get.'_ Instead she said, "The King had a hunch that Sakura might be dawdling around instead of getting dressed..."

Sakura fumed and crossed her arms across her chest. "That pig," she huffed. She was about to say more, but the creaking sound of the doors opening stopped her, and gave her enough warning to discard her human expression and adopt her cool disposition once more. Tomoyo sighed in disappointment. _'So much for hoping that she'd be herself at dinner.'_ Sakura glanced up at Syaoran while the doors were being opened, and was a little surprised to see complete and utter shock etched on every single line of his face.

Before she could ask him what had happened, he breathed, "It can't be..."

Bemused, Sakura and Tomoyo looked towards the people seated at the table. Touya and Yue occupied their usual positions, and they were accompanied by three very beautiful women, one of whom looked older than the others. All three had straight black hair, and wore traditional silk kimonos. For some reason, they looked very familiar to Sakura, even though she was sure she had never seen them before.

A short nod from Yue signalled to Tomoyo that they were supposed to enter. Trying to maintain some semblance of calm, she led her two friends inside, while Touya told the women, "I'd like to introduce you to my sister, Princess Sakura, and her assistant, Daidouji Tomoyo."

Tomoyo bowed deeply, while Sakura frowned as she bowed slightly. _'Why did he leave out Syaoran?'_

Touya turned to his sister, and indicated to the older of the three women. "Sakura, this is Li Yelan, from the Li clan." Stunned, Sakura thought, _'Li?__ As in...'_ She glanced at Syaoran sharply out of the corner of her eye, and found that he looked much like she felt. _'He didn't know about this. What is Touya doing now?'_

Sakura vaguely heard her brother say, "She's Li-san's mother. She is accompanied by one of his sisters, Li Sheifa and his cousin, Li Meilin."

Remembering her manners, Sakura bowed again, this time more respectfully. "It is an honour to make your acquaintance, Li-san."

Yelan had stood up at the second bow, and brushed her off in a dignified manner. "Nonsense, child. It is I who is honoured to meet you. My only son left home four months ago to be your personal guard. It is only fair that I be allowed to see the girl he refused to return home for, isn't it?" She smiled at Sakura gently, who felt like the wind had been knocked out of her.

_'He didn't go home? When was __he__ supposed to go?'_ She looked at Syaoran, pleading with a look that only he could understand, begging for an explanation. She got none.

"Mother," he spoke finally. "You look well."

Appraising him lightly, his mother replied, "You look better than you did when you left. I'm surprised."

Syaoran didn't reply. He had no intention of falling into his mother's usual trap. Instead he looked over at the two girls who were sitting at the table, silently watching the exchange. "Sheifa, Meilin, why are you two here?"

His sister smirked, and Sakura saw the resemblance that she couldn't spot earlier on. "Ever the polite little future leader, aren't you Syaoran?"

_'Future leader?'_Sakura couldn't have been more confused, even if she had tried. She saw Syaoran looking dull and defeated, and she didn't like it one bit. _'I wish we hadn't come downstairs. Everything would have been so much better. He would have still been himself.'_ Her external appearance did nothing to betray her inner conflict. She spoke softly, in a dignified tone, "Yelan-san, why don't we all seat ourselves and Li-san can comfortably catch up with his family."

Touya was proud of the way his sister handled what could have turned out to be an ugly situation. Although any praise from him was completely lost on her. _'Still, who knew that he'd still be so bitter?'_ He glanced at Yue, who was keenly watching the proceedings as well. Noticing that he had the King's attention, he said in an undertone, "Do you think it was the right thing to do?"

Touya frowned slightly. "I don't know," he replied finally. "But it was for the best." Yue snorted delicately in disbelief, and the King, ignoring him, went on, "Maybe this is what they need... To finally let go of everything that happened in their pasts."

_'They seem to be getting along just fine without resolving issues,'_ Yue thought, recalling the events of earlier that evening. When he had mentioned it to Touya, he seemed uncharacteristically quiet, save for issuing the command to immediately announce that their presence was required at dinner. _'Not one bit like the overprotective brother to Sakura I used to know. Has he truly changed so much because of that?'_

He stopped his depressing train of thoughts when he realised that everyone was seated at the table. The Li women seemed delighted to see Syaoran, who was praying to all the Gods he knew for some miracle to occur, so he wouldn't have to spend two hours with the family he had risked so much to avoid. Syaoran felt the fine hairs on the back of his neck stand on edge, and he glanced sharply to his right to see the King's Prime Minister staring at him. _'Why is he looking at me like that?'_ Syaoran thought uneasily. Yue abruptly turned to speak with the King, leaving Syaoran with a strange, nagging suspicion that the family dinner was no coincidence.

He was broken out of his reverie when he felt a foot carefully nudge his. Blankly he looked at Sakura, who was impassively drinking water out of her goblet, waiting for the food to be served. Her eyes met his, and even though the layers of frigidity were still in place, there was something else there, meant only for him. Something that glittered like broken glass in sunlight and it dawned on him that she was concerned about his behaviour. Touched, Syaoran nudged her back, willing her to understand that he would explain everything, soon.

It looked like she understood, for she turned her attention to her food, which had been served during the course of the exchange between her and Syaoran. Their wordless communication had gone unnoticed by almost everyone at dinner.

_ 'So that is why he refused so strongly to return,' _Li Yelan thought, only a little sad. _'She has his heart. And, if those glances meant anything, he has hers as well.'_ Meilin was quick to notice the subtle change in her aunt's mood. Frowning the tiniest bit, she asked quietly, "Aunt Yelan, what happened?"

Yelan shook her head, smiling. She had already made her decision. She announced to the King, "Kinomoto-san, I greatly appreciate your invitation, but I'm afraid we will have to leave after dinner and a quick word with my son." _'I do not wish to impose where I am not wanted, or needed.'_

Neither Touya nor Yue looked very surprised. The silver-haired man said, "Very well, Li-san. Arrangements shall be made for a carriage to take you back."

Yelan smiled gratefully and disregarded the shocked stares that her daughter and her niece were giving her. She didn't fail to notice her son looking extremely delighted and she was surprised that he was letting his supposed state of ice go so easily. It was only after careful, discreet scrutiny that she realised, _'The happiness on his face wasn't directed towards me... It was at the Princess.'_

Though Touya and Yue seemed to have accepted Yelan's decision without questioning its reasons, her family wasn't quite so supportive. Sheifa glared at her younger brother, before asking her mother, "Didn't we come here to take him back? Why are we leaving without even trying? He has his duties to perform, he can't be sitting here - "

Yelan silenced her daughter with a calm glare. "Sheifa, I do not want to trouble Kinomoto-san with making arrangements for our accommodation." Seeing that Meilin was about to join in, and with a stronger argument, she went on, "Syaoran knows that he is always welcome at the Li household. It is, after all, his right and his property. But until he decides to take responsibility, it is upto us to make sure that the establishment does not teeter off an edge and destroy itself."

Sheifa and Meilin made no further attempt to argue with the woman. The discussion had been too quiet for Sakura and Tomoyo to catch, but Syaoran had heard every word, and felt a semblance of gratitude towards his mother for the first time in his memory. He ignored the looks his sister and cousin were giving him, which clearly read "Traitor" and instead focused his concentration on finishing the food that he didn't really want to eat.

_'I'm going to have to tell her though... __She can't not be curious after all this,__ and I owe it to her. One boy's story about his family is hardly enough for all that she's done for me since I came here,'_ Syaoran contemplated sadly. _'But it will have to do for now. The rest,'_ he was mentally smiling now. _'The rest I will make up to her in time.'_

Throughout the quiet commotion taking place at the table, Sakura and Tomoyo remained passive; Tomoyo because she had no idea what was happening, and why Syaoran was so eager to see his family off, and Sakura, because she had no desire of letting her brother or his Minister see her truly and genuinely happy, for the first time in seven years.

_'It probably is a little childish,' _she reflected. _'But I'm not going to let it go so easily. After all, the only attempts they've been making involve forgetting that it ever happened or treating me like I'm not quite right in the head.'_

So caught up was she in her thoughts that she failed to notice dinner was over, until Syaoran gently tapped her on the arm. She craned her neck to look up at him and realised that Tomoyo had already left for her room, after bowing to everyone present, and Touya and Yue were escorting the Li women into the lounge that was kept only to entertain important guests. _'So much happened? How long was I daydreaming for?'_

Sakura exhaled sharply, thankful that she didn't have to keep acting again. _'When did I get so used to being myself again, that it became difficult to go back?'_ Her jaws hurt from keeping them clenched for so long and she had a crawling need to check for stress bumps on her forehead. Slapping herself on the forehead, she growled, "Paranoid idiot."

Syaoran looked baffled. He had been observing Sakura's actions and her comment was enough to make him forget about the awkward dinner with the people he didn't want to see. _'It's all normal again. __For now, anyway.'_

He noticed Sakura watching him carefully, and raised an eyebrow questioningly. She dropped her gaze to the floor and whispered, in a barely audible tone, "When they leave... When we're back upstairs... Will you tell me why?"

His answer was pleasantly surprising. "I would have told you when we got back even if you hadn't asked me to."

Syaoran was rewarded with the brightest smile he had seen since his arrival at the castle, and he remembered, yet again, why he had chosen to stay here, even when their relationship was formal and frosty. _'__That smile__, hiding beneath the depths of all that sadness...'_ He was taken aback when he saw the beautiful smile drop from her face as soon as it had appeared. He despaired when he heard a whimper.

Dropping down to his knees so that he could look her in the eye, Syaoran murmured, "Sakura? What...?"

He stopped as she looked at him with unshed tears pooling in her eyes. Not wanting the others in the lounge to hear them, she managed, "But before you tell me... I want to tell you." Syaoran waited for her to continue. "About why Kinomoto country is so cold all the time." His eyes widened with comprehension as she finished, "I want to tell you, Syaoran, about what happened here seven years ago. Before you tell me why you despise your family so much, that you couldn't bear to sit two hours with them."

Syaoran nodded slowly, a little dazed. Finally he asked, "Why...?"

Sakura understood his confusion. But she remained steadfast. "When we get back," she answered firmly. "Everything."

* * *

**AN: **I don't suppose that counts as a cliffhanger... XP 


	6. Chapter 6

**AN:** Slightly long chapter (I think) to make up for the lack of length of the last one. Although I have this feeling I'm going to get shot after I post this chapter. -.-''

**Disclaimer: **Harass CLAMP please.

* * *

_It was the day after Syaoran had arrived at Kinomoto castle. So far, it had not been what he was expecting from a place rumoured to be polite to an extent, but horribly frigid if you happened to outstay their welcome. He had thought the fact that he was inside the castle, with his own room and all limbs intact was the best thing that could have happened, considering the fact that he was expecting to be treated as a slave. But now he was beginning to wish he hadn't prematurely grateful. _

_He sighed in frustration. _'It's only been one day.'_ He paced around his spacious room and paused occasionally to swing his sword around absently, before resuming his pacing. He checked his urge to smash something to bits. Syaoran ran a hand through his hair, before dropping his sword and clutching his face in agony. He moaned into the palms that were pressed into his face, "Damn it! This place is so boring!"_

_"You noticed that too?" A flat voice asked from behind._

_Syaoran did not take being startled lightly. In one swift motion, he was up and had his sword at the neck of his intruder – the Princess. Wondering off-handedly if the boredom had addled his brains, Syaoran dropped his stance and tried to loosen up. "Beg your pardon, your Majesty. I mistook you for an intruder."_

_Sakura dismissed his apology with a wave of her hand. "Are you bored as well?" she asked, as dully as before._

_He didn't really want to displease his employer. But... "Yes," he replied simply. Syaoran didn't expect the twinkle that suddenly came to life in her otherwise unreadable eyes. He blinked slowly. "Princess?"_

_"I have an idea."_

_Which is why they found themselves sneaking into the castle kitchens, scrounging for food to take back upstairs._

_"Princess," Syaoran whispered. "This is your grand idea to get rid of boredom? Steal food?"_

_If Sakura thought she was getting insulted, she didn't show it. "You aren't making holes in the floor walking around anymore, are you?"_

_Gritting his teeth to prevent himself from saying anything he might regret later, Syaoran mentally chanted, _'She's royalty, she's an ice bitch, she's royalty, she's an ice bitch.'_ Sakura glanced back at him and smirked slightly. "Even if I can't read your mind, Li-san, your thoughts are written all over your face." She paused to take in his shocked expression, and continued before flaunting off, "You're slipping already, and it's been only one day."_

_He didn't move to follow her, raising a hand to his face to check if he really was slipping. He felt creases on his forehead that he wasn't used to being there. _'That girl,' _he growled. _'I'm going to get her back for that.'_ She peeped her head from around the frame of the door and beckoned him to follow her. He had half a mind to defy her wishes, but instead followed her inside, figuring he might be able to cause more damage being with her than away._

_The kitchen, he observed as he entered, was spotless. All the food had been neatly stowed away in various utensils and there were no stray pieces of vegetables lying around. He vaguely wondered what she wanted to do in here, before a piercing shriek drew his attention. His eyes widened as he saw the Princess sitting on the floor in a shabby heap and clutching her wrist, her face contorting in agony. Syaoran rushed over to her side, and smelt a slight metallic odour. _'Blood?'

_Sakura was whimpering and rocking back and forth on her heels. Her knuckles were going white from holding her wrist so tightly. But Syaoran didn't move a muscle. He still knelt by her side, eyes narrowed. _'I'm going to cut off my own circulation at this rate,' _Sakura thought. She didn't like the sudden smirk that popped up on Syaoran's face. "What is it that you find so amusing, Li-san?" she asked coldly. _

_"You must think I'm a great fool, isn't that right Princess?" he stated rather than asked._

_"I'm afraid I don't understand." Her grip around her wrist tightened just a little more._

_He shook his head in disbelief and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "Baka." Sakura's eyes narrowed but her face remained devoid of any expression. Syaoran stood up and brushed off his pants. She didn't want to, but it couldn't be helped. "Where are you going, Li-san? I need medical attention!"_

_He didn't even bother looking back. "Princess, if you really had slit your wrist, your pretty little dress would be soaked in your own blood by now." Turning back now, the smirk seemed to be plastered on his face. In fact, it grew bigger as Syaoran took in the shock and confusion plastered on her face. "Hey, give me some credit," he said mockingly. "I didn't become your bodyguard for nothing." Walking towards the door, he threw her one last look over his shoulder, relishing her face that was suddenly so full of anger, and said, "Oops. You slipped."_

**XXX**

Syaoran followed Sakura to the lounge, wishing he could be going anywhere else. But, like Sakura had said right before they left the dining room, it was only for a few minutes that he had to talk to them. _'The carriages will arrive after that, and then they'll be gone from here.'_ He was annoyed with himself about the fact that he let himself get so worked up over a visit from the family, but it couldn't be helped. He just kept on running into them, no matter where he went.

Sakura paused right before opening to doors to enter, and turned to face Syaoran. He looked at her curiously and opened his mouth to say something, when he felt something warm envelope his hands. His gaze dropped down to see that both her hands were clasped gently around his, and she was trying to smile at him encouragingly. _'Encouragement? But why?'_

"I know that you don't want to do this," she began softly. "But... think of it this way. The sooner you finish up with them, the sooner we can talk." _'And maybe then... finally, there won't be anything lurking in the closet to stop us from having what we truly want.'_ Sakura bit the inside of her cheek to control her blush from spreading.

He freed one of his hands from her hold, only to wrap it around her hand instead. "I'd like that, Sakura," he replied, smiling slightly.

Sakura smiled tentatively back at him. A thought came unbidden to her mind, and before she could stop herself, she placed her hands on Syaoran's shoulders, after taking them out of his grasp, and kissed him on the cheek.

Identical shades of red spread rapidly across their faces, and Sakura stammered shyly, "G-Go-Good luck, Syaoran."

Not trusting his voice, Syaoran simply nodded. He realised he was nodding too much and stopped before he gave himself a headache.

Sakura had managed to get herself under control, and faced the doors. Right before she opened them, Syaoran heard a mumble escape from her that sounded strangely like "H-H-Hoe-e." Light creases marred his forehead as he frowned. _'Hoe? What the hell is that?"_

All thoughts of Sakura's impending insanity flew out of the window, however, when he saw his mother sitting with his sister and his cousin, and the King and his Prime Minister sitting on a futon opposite to them. Touya and Yue sighed and glanced at each other. The King's loyal friend leaned forward slightly and mumbled, "They should have been born as twins. Faces set in stone." Only Yue noticed that Touya's face twitched slightly, which was enough for him. Satisfied that his King was cheery enough, he beckoned the two teenagers to take their seats.

Meilin didn't like Sakura very much, that much the Princess was able to tell. She was used to people not liking her for whatever reasons they had, but this girl barely knew her. _'Where does she get off thinking she can glare at me so viciously in my own castle?' _Sakura seethed inside. _'I could have her thrown out right now if I wanted it. I – she's staring at him? Possessively?'_ Sneaking a glance at Syaoran, she was a little relieved to see that Meilin's attention was lost on him. He was staring off into space, probably wondering when his family was going to leave, so he could escape from the suffocating atmosphere. Sakura glanced back at the girl who had decked her hair in a weird manner, with buns on either side of her head, and saw that Meilin was glaring at her – again – with a lot more force behind the look now.

Though she didn't show it, Sakura was beginning to feel a little nervous. She inched a little closer to Syaoran, and covered up the minimal distance that had separated them. Using her skirts to cover her actions, Sakura cautiously reached for Syaoran's hand that lay lifelessly on his side. Using it as her support system, Sakura gripped his hand and refused to let go.

Syaoran was brought out of his catatonia by a death grip on his hand. _'What's made her so apprehensive all of a sudden?'_ Then, he noticed Meilin looking over in their direction like she wanted to murder Sakura and take Syaoran hostage. His eyes glinted in amusement for just a moment, before the flicker passed and died. He squeezed Sakura's hand gently, trying to tell her to relieve the pressure a bit. She complied immediately while shooting him a fleeting apologetic glance at the same time.

Touya cleared his throat loudly, in a very un-King like manner. Sakura glimpsed a flash of irritation that was common to the eyes of her brother and his Minister. She sat up a little straighter, and tried to look like she had been paying attention. Unconsciously Syaoran imitated her, realising that his sister might forcibly take him back home if he didn't at least act like he cared that they were around him.

"I beg your pardon, Onii-sama," Sakura said humbly. "What was it that you were saying?"

Disgruntled that she could be so calm all the time, Touya repeated, "Yelan-san was wondering what it is that you and Li-san do all day, since it is too cold in the kingdom to wander around freely in the countryside."

The question startled Sakura as well as Syaoran. Sakura was a little embarrassed. She didn't want to share the experiences of her time with Syaoran with Tomoyo. _'Why does Touya think I'm going to be truthful to a woman who Syaoran doesn't even want to be around?'_ She was avoiding the small truth that Yelan was – whether Sakura liked it or not – Syaoran's mother.

Syaoran, on the other hand, was suspicious of his mother's motives behind asking such a pointed question. _'She must have noticed something, or heard about something. She wouldn't be so direct if something like that hadn't happened.'_ He noticed Sakura chewing slightly on her bottom lip anxiously, and rapped her hand to draw her focus somewhere else. She stopped almost immediately and Syaoran sighed in relief. But his eyes narrowed as he thought of a way to answer his mother's question without seeming too casual or too indifferent.

"Li-san spends a lot of time training in his room," a soft voice from his side answered. Sakura glanced up to see that Yelan's face was masked. Feeling butterflies fight a war in her stomach, the Princess continued slowly, "I – I'm sure Onii-sama has told you about Li-san's accommodation." Replying to Yelan's nod with a nod of her own, Sakura said, only a bit more confident now, "Since Li-san has specific orders not to let me out of his sight, he trains for most of the day, leaving the connecting door open. I tend to spend most of that time reading a book or looking at the countryside from my balcony."

Yelan still showed no emotion, but Meilin was raging. "Connecting door?" she exclaimed. "They sleep so close to each other without any supervision? Nobody will know if she takes advantage of him!" A derisive snort from her cousin stopped her. Meilin stared at him. "What is so funny, Syaoran?"

"I find the thought of the Princess taking advantage of me hilarious."

Sakura stared at the ground. _'Arrogant idiot. What is he playing at?'_

Meilin narrowed her eyes at Syaoran. "Why is that so amusing?" There was a note of challenge in her voice.

"Has it been so long, Meilin," Syaoran said flatly, "that you've forgotten how good your cousin's hearing is?" It looked like she had. He continued, "S- The Princess would never be able to sneak up on me, even if I am asleep, because I will hear her footsteps." _'Even if that has been failing sometimes lately, mostly because I'm thinking about her all the time.'_ He paused, with the air that he was about to go on. _'Oh, well. It isn't their concern what my thoughts are about, anyway.'_

Sheifa had another, perhaps more valid concern. "Princess," she addressed Sakura, not wanting to face her brother's cold wrath yet. "You say Syaoran's been training a lot." Sakura nodded hesitantly, praying that she wasn't going to ask her about training techniques. _'I can't let them take him away,'_ she thought in dismay. She faintly heard Sheifa ask, "Has he ever had to use any of that training to protect you while he's been here?"

Releasing a breath she didn't know she was holding, Sakura shook her head delicately. "No, there hasn't been any invasion till date. Although..." She had to bite back a giggle at the memory. "There was this one incident with a man at the market, who thought he could give his country's Princess a few dozen apples to take back to the castle. S- Li-san was extremely suspicious and he slashed all the apples into tiny pieces, fearing them to be bombs." She noticed a vein in Syaoran's neck was twitching from trying not to laugh. "That old man," she continued, "was awfully insulted with Li-san."

Syaoran remembered the day she was talking about. _'Two months after I had come here. We had moved past the hatred and we had just begun to accept each other, and I wanted to see the townspeople's reactions to the Princess.'_ He had never before realised the effort of controlling rib-cracking laughter. _'She was so angry with me that day.'_ He nearly smiled before he realised where he was. _'But at that time, anger was still a wanted emotion. Now, it's all so different.'_ He felt her looking at him out of the corner of her eye, and made it a point to look elsewhere, while playfully tugging on one of her fingers, still hidden in her mass of skirts. _'Now... I just want her to be happy. Smiling at me, all the time.'_

Sakura saw Syaoran's eyes momentarily sparkle with some indescribable emotion, and she felt something pull her stomach, hard. She turned her attention back to Syaoran's sister, ignoring the strange feelings coursing through her. Sheifa was amused, but Meilin seemed to be smiling for appearance's sake only. _'It's better than the brawl she almost started a while ago,' _Sakura thought dismissively.

Yue heard the noise of hooves, and waited for a courtier to announce the arrival of the carriages. He didn't want to be the one to interrupt Yelan from asking her son whatever she needed to, and it looked as if Touya shared his sentiments. They sat patiently, with thoughts of failure running through Touya's mind. _'I suppose they won't be able to resolve it after all. The brat still wants his family gone, and Sakura's still as glacial as ever.'_ Even though he didn't let his frustration and disappointment show, Yue could feel it seeping out of his body and his mouth drooped a little, feeling sad for the King. As unobtrusively as he could, Yue stretched the tip of his right wing, so that it touched Touya softly on the shoulder. The negativity ceased rapidly and Yue was thankful that he had to do so little to make his King feel all right again.

Yue and Touya started when Yelan stood up suddenly. Rising along with her, the King asked, worriedly, "Yelan-san, is anything the matter?"

She shook her head once and looked at the boy and the girl sitting together, identical blank stares on their features. "If you two supposedly have such a formal relationship, where one trains all day and the other merely reads a book, why don't you want to return home, Syaoran?" Her son frowned. He hadn't been expecting an attack from that angle. Yelan continued, her voice not rising in pitch in the least, "You can train anywhere. What is so special about this place?"

_'Do not tell her, Syaoran, please,'_ Sakura pleaded mentally, knowing full well it was futile. He couldn't hear her thoughts and she wasn't telepathic. She could only hope. _'Please, Syaoran. It's our __secret and they don't need to know.'_ She didn't know why she was so defensively adamant about keeping her friendship – it was probably more than that – a secret from everyone. But she had a nasty instinctual feeling that it would all start to go wrong the minute somebody heard it from them. _'Please... Syaoran...'_

"I have a job here, Mother," Syaoran replied calmly. Yelan didn't look satisfied. He went on tonelessly, "If spending time training under the Li clan taught me anything, it was that future leaders must learn to complete tasks that have been assigned to them and fulfil their responsibilities." He stared at his mother, who seemed to be seeking a different explanation. "My job is to protect the Princess. I believe it was on your orders that I came here in the first place. I will perform my duties until the Princess decides that she no longer requires my services for her protection."

Syaoran's hand was starting to feel numb. _'She's tense again,'_ he realised grimly. _'There isn't a thing I can do in here to make her feel better, except wait for them to leave.'_

Sakura was delighted that he had chosen a different explanation to give his mother, but she looked very reluctant to accept it. The Princess noticed a courtier standing at the door, waiting for permission to enter, but apparently nobody had heard him. She was about to signal him inside, when Yelan asked her son another question. "If you answer this satisfactorily, I will take your leave immediately, Syaoran."

_'Satisfactorily?'_ He didn't like the sound of that. "What is it?"

"If your relationship with the Princess is purely professional and based on formality only, then why did you two almost address each other by first name earlier? At the same time, why are the two of you holding each other's hands like it is the key to your existence?"

Touya appeared a little peeved but muttered to Yue, "She's sharp, noticing that too."

"Don't tell me you didn't, your Highness."

Shooting him a dirty glare, the King grumbled, "Do not call me that, ever. Our relationship crosses any need to be so formal with each other." He saw Yue nod slightly, smirking in amusement. "But, like I was saying, she's sharp. How're they going to talk their way out of this?"

Yue, observing the two teenagers closely, commented, "I think they're holding up pretty well, don't you? Look at them, Touya. They haven't changed a bit." Touya frowned, seeing that Sakura and Syaoran's faces hadn't registered the faintest bit of shock or surprise or any of the signs of somebody in a conflicting situation. The King sighed. "They **really** don't want us to see how they really are."

Sakura was reeling, but one peek at Syaoran's face was enough to tell her that he wasn't in the least bit surprised. If anything, it looked like he had been expecting something like this to happen. But, to the Princess's pleasure, he didn't release the hold on her hand. It was still firmly locked with his own, and showed no signs of being freed anytime soon. _'And that's perfectly fine with me,'_ Sakura thought, feeling some of the tension drain out of her.

Syaoran was a little relieved that his demeanour made Sakura feel a little calmer. _'But Mother still wants an answer,'_ he frowned. _'Can't she see that I don't want to explain anything in front of Sheifa and Meilin? Or the King and his Minister?'_

It appeared that she didn't understand, since she shot a look at her son, clearly conveying her impatience. "Syaoran," she said coolly. "What is your answer?"

Syaoran had no idea what he was supposed to do. He did not want to tell his mother a single thing regarding the experiences he had shared with Sakura since he had come to the castle. _'But if I don't tell her __**something**__ she's most probably going to take me back to the Li household,'_ thought Syaoran, desperately.

"We're friends, Yelan-san," Sakura spoke up, suddenly. Startled out of his desperation by her unexpected voice, Syaoran looked at her, eyes clouded over in confusion. She refused to meet his gaze and instead looked unflinchingly at Li Yelan, who seemed a little perturbed that the Princess had answered a question that she had specifically directed at her son. _'Why is one always protecting the other?' _Yelan did not let her curiosity show though.

She regarded Sakura calmly. "Forgive me, Sakura-hime, I'm not sure if you are aware. But members of the Li clan do not have friends." She paused to note Sakura's unchanging expression and added, "Especially future leaders. It is frowned upon among the Elders."

"I'm afraid I wasn't aware of that, but Li-san's actions during the initial few weeks of his stay hinted at the possibility that he had never had companions before," Sakura stated mildly. Yelan's eyes widened by just a fraction. Paying little attention to her surroundings, the Princess continued, "Also, Li-san isn't staying at the Li household. In a castle, far from home, I think it's only fair that he make atleast one friend while he's here. Don't you agree, Yelan-san?" Sakura stared at the graceful woman grimly, despising the hoops she was making them jump through. _'I wasn't expecting so many questions,'_ she thought, a little angry. _'If I knew, I wouldn't have made Syaoran come in here in the first place.'_ She sighed wistfully, thinking of the more appealing conversation that they might have been having if they hadn't been forced into the lounge.

Sakura failed to notice Syaoran's adoring gaze, and Yelan's appreciative one, after she had completed her defensive speech about Syaoran. She did notice the cold and slightly shocked stares she was getting from the rest, and she was more than a little ticked. She was about to retort, when Touya stepped in front and bowed to Yelan. "I apologise for my sister's rudeness." Sakura drilled holes into his back with her eyes, as he continued humbly, "I'm sure she didn't mean all of it."

Yelan smiled, suddenly looking a lot younger. There was a sparkle in her eye, as she told Touya, "Oh, I'm pretty sure she meant it all." The King looked abashed, and Yelan's smile widened. "Please don't worry yourself about it, your Highness. I feel safe knowing that my son is being looked after by such a fiery young woman."

It was so far from what they were expecting that Sakura and Syaoran could do nothing about the twin blushes that suddenly appeared on their faces. Yelan giggled a little, before sobering up and addressing Yue. "I believe I heard the carriages come in a little earlier. Would they be ready to leave by now?" Yue nodded in affirmative, and went out to make the final preparations without another word.

Sheifa and Meilin seemed to not want to have anything to do with the only teenage boy in their family. They bowed simultaneously to the King, expressing their thanks, and shooting one last glare at the two still seated together, they marched out of the lounge behind Yue.

Yelan sighed and rubbed her forehead. "I'm sorry Kinomoto-san. It was a long journey here, and I believe they wanted Syaoran to return with us." Touya quickly shook his head and replied, "I shall wait outside for you. Please allow me to take you to the carriage once you finish speaking to Li-san." The older woman smiled in gratitude, and Touya took the same path as his best friend had just a few moments earlier.

If Li Yelan had been expecting Sakura to leave along with her brother, she was sure to be disappointed. Sakura had not budged an inch during the various departures, and she had no intention of leaving Syaoran alone with his mother. _'No matter how much either of them might want it,'_ she thought heatedly. _'He looks out for me all the time. The least I can do for him is be there when he's talking to someone he doesn't really want to.'_

Syaoran was grateful that Sakura hadn't left. He had a sinking feeling that he might have blown up in his mother's face if she hadn't stuck around. _'We protect each other,'_ he reflected happily. He would gladly take anything his mother threw at him, if it meant being able to stay with Sakura for just a while longer.

Yelan's words, however, told them that worrying had been unnecessary. "I'm sure you don't want me around here, Syaoran, and I am not going to stay here and force my presence on you." Her son was bemused. "However, I will tell you this. You might not want to come back home yet, but when the time comes that you wish to marry... Please bring her home to us. You know that we'll welcome you with open arms." Yelan's eyes had indicated during the course of her speech that she was fully expecting Syaoran to bring Sakura home with him, and the Princess was just the slightest bit touched.

Syaoran, on the other hand, was fighting to keep his temper in check. _'I will never take Sakura back there and allow her to be subjected to even a __**little**__ of what they put me through,'_ he fumed. _'If they want to see me settled with a wife and children, they're going to have to find me first. I am never going back there.'_

To his mother, he simply nodded and stood up when she made a move to leave the lounge. Sakura stood up as well, and bowed in respect, bidding the dignified woman farewell. _'Syaoran might not like her, and that's good enough reason for me to be distant with her too. But there's something about her that can't be ignored...'_ Yelan smiled at the young girl, and said softly, "It was truly an honour to meet you, Sakura-hime. Maybe next time, you and my son will be a little more cheery." She motioned Syaoran to stop when she saw him follow her out the door. "There is no need, Syaoran," she said, having already reached the hallway outside the lounge.

Sakura waited for a few minutes to pass before she dared to speak a word. Even then, all she said was, "Let's go, Syaoran." She proceeded to drag him out and upstairs to her room, before he stopped in his tracks. She looked at him in confusion, and he simply smiled back at her, rearranging their hands so that they were together again. Sakura flashed him a warm smile, as they started to walk back.

_'Time to put your ghosts to rest,'_ the two thought, finally finding a glimpse of inner peace.

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**AN: **Err... I love annoying all of you to death? -protection from sure death- Next chapter, all will be explained :) Plus, I don't recall ever saying that this chapter would clear everything up. -smiles innocently-

Reviewers, how I love you all. Seriously, you guys are all really, really sweet and seeing that you genuinely like the story is like my motivation to go on. (apart from the fact that I might kill myself for not finishing a fic, after how much I complain about incomplete stories. -.-'') Biglove and tonnes of hugs to **SilentCynara, AngelEmCuti, Acreyist, parma-violets, badz, ffs, Shahar Mystral, Esa MaRie, Ann03525, patches19** and **Fallen from the sky** for all your nice words. :)


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: **I just finished this and it's 1.20 a.m. I have an exam in the morning and I'm typing random crap instead of normal sentences, since I'm that sleepy. Buuuut.. XD Since I'm such a -cough- nice person -cough- and I didn't want to leave you guys with a cliffhanger (of sorts) for too long... Here you go:)  
Although, if there are typos and grammar mistakes, please point them out. I wouldn't have noticed in this sleepy state I'm in. And.. err.. possible OOC-ness here. I'm not sure cuz I can't remember what exactly I wrote. DDX -ignore me please-  
Anyway, read new chapter and tell nice author what you think about it. TRC 179 rants are welcome. -needs ranting company-

Oh, and I seemed to have caused some confusion last chapter about Sakura and her cutting. To clear that up, no, she did not cut herself. She just nicked her finger or her palm or whatever you want it to be (just not her wrists) enough to make Syaoran's oh-so-sensitive senses smell the blood. But, no wrist slitting. It was a game to see who could drop their facade first. And enough with the damned author notes.

**Disclaimer:** Oh, please. I wouldn't have had so many clones if I were CLAMP. Oh, wait. Wrong fandom.

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_It was the day after Sakura had faked slitting her wrists in the castle kitchen, and Syaoran hadn't dared go near her. The frosty glare she had shot him when she found him snickering outside the kitchen door was enough to keep him at bay. If only for a few hours._

'I can't help that this place is so lifeless that the only thing I can do is try to get a reaction out of that block of ice,'_ Syaoran reasoned, as he found his legs propelling him in the direction of Sakura's room. He didn't bother to knock on the adjoining door, as he guessed she would keep it locked if she had to. He was taken aback as he found her room empty, with the bed neatly made. He nearly turned back, when he sensed her presence to his right. _'Balcony. Baka!'

_Syaoran strode confidently towards her, not missing a beat when he saw her sitting on the floor, as lifelessly as the castle appeared to be to him. He sat down beside her, and said, "Morning, Princess."_

_If Sakura was surprised at his cheery attitude, it didn't show. "It's three in the afternoon, Li-san."_

_Syaoran was undeterred. "Is it? How time flies here in this remarkable country."_

_It would take an idiot to miss the heavy sarcasm that filled Syaoran's remark, and the Princess was hardly an idiot. She regarded him coolly out of the corner of her eye. "Are you bored once again, Li-san?"_

_"You would be lying if you said that you aren't, Princess." Syaoran smirked at the slight irritation that crossed her face._

'I will not let this... boy get to me,'_ Sakura thought determinedly. She would have been a little happier if she had seen the peeved look on Syaoran's face when she stopped bantering with him – if only she had noticed._

_Syaoran sighed and leaned back, relying on his arms for support. He looked at the dismal landscape, where the sun was barely managing to peep out through the clouds that would neither rain nor dissipate; the trees were barren, save for one or two trees which hardly had any leaves on them, dotting the terrain. He closed his eyes and wondered how bad it would be in winter, if it was this cold in spring. _'I miss the heat,'_ Syaoran thought sadly._

_Out of the blue, Syaoran jerked upright and stared at Sakura. She gazed at him blankly and Syaoran felt himself get just a little too annoyed. _'Her face is just a little too out of it,'_ he gritted. _

_Forgetting Tomoyo's warning from two days ago, Syaoran snapped, "Why the hell is this place so cold? It was perfectly normal until the entrance to the kingdom, and then it suddenly just became frosty. It's starting to get to me." _

_He stopped short as he noticed the dull look slide of her face, only to be replaced by deep sorrow and... _'Heart ache?'_ Syaoran thought, incredulous. _'That can't be right.'

_Sakura smiled sadly and turned to view the landscape that was already tiring Syaoran. She heard him mumble an apology and she shook her head, dismissing it. "No," she said. "You have the right to ask. It isn't usual, this weather."_

_He was surprised she was offering the information. From the way Tomoyo had reacted, Syaoran was expecting the Princess to blow up in his face if he mentioned it. _'Or blow me up, instead,' _he shuddered at the possibilities of her latent magic._

_"What... what caused it?" Syaoran asked hesitatingly._

_The Princess's smiled grew sadder. "I did."_

_"You must be incredibly powerful then, Princess." He was trying to offer her solace, though he didn't know why. He just felt that she shouldn't be sad. _'Not when she's so dead otherwise, too.'

_If Sakura wasn't trying not to burst into tears at the memories that suddenly flooded her mind, she would have snorted. "I'm not powerful at all, Li-san," she stated finally. "I'm just ... untrained."_

_"With your magic?" Syaoran was genuinely curious now. If she did have such talent, then why didn't anybody at the castle make sure it was harnessed properly?_

_"In a manner of speaking," she replied cryptically. _

_Not one to take a hint so easily, Syaoran pressed, "What do you mean?"_

_Sakura sighed, wondering how much she should tell him. She knew he wasn't leaving anytime soon, so there was no point in hiding something that would eventually come out. _'But what should I say...?'

_Slowly, she began, "There are people at the castle... who believe that my magic cannot be brought under my control." Syaoran's eyes narrowed but he did not interrupt. "They think that as long as my emotions run unchecked, my magic will follow." There was a bitter look in her eyes that made something tug inside Syaoran. "I was never offered training, and I never asked anybody to train me."_

_Syaoran wanted to offer her his help, but he decided against it. Instead he asked, "Is that why the country is always cold?"_

_The Princess nodded. "It was an awfully painstaking experience for me. I think my family and friends were a little happy with that day's proceedings." She offered him a weak smile. "Until I happened along and ruined it for them, of course."_

_Deciding that Sakura had had enough of reminiscing for one day, he said flippantly, "So, your Majesty." She looked at him warily. _'That was weird. Sombre to cheery. He's upto something.'_ "Ever fought with snowballs?"_

_He grinned at her snooty half-glare. "Li-san, I am not aware of your country, but over here, Princesses do not – Aaaaaaaa!" _

_Caught up in her monologue, she failed to realise that Syaoran was slowly bringing up a snowball, from the snow remaining from last winter, upto her balcony and had shoved it down her back. _

_Standing up quickly, she tried to shake off all the snow, while glaring at her bodyguard. "What the hell are you doing?" He laughed heartily as her formal speech dropped. Her eyes widened. She exclaimed, "You know magic!" _

_Still choking out his laughter, Syaoran replied cockily, "Princess, I've read about magic while training. So yes, I do know magic."_

_She slapped his shoulder impatiently. "Baka. I meant, you can do magic!" He nodded slowly, not quite understanding what she was so excited about. She looked so gleeful, Syaoran thought he might be sick. _'She was like a post just a minute ago,'_ he thought, bemused._

_"Why are you so jumpy?" He asked bluntly._

_"Because," she spoke slowly, as though addressing a child. "We have something in common now!" She grinned, and added mischievously, "Apart from being stuck in this death trap, that is."_

_Syaoran shook his head in disbelief. It took so little to make her happy. _'Maybe it seems that way now. She probably didn't have anyone to talk to, for a very long time.'

_Sakura was oblivious to his contemplative state of mind. Blissfully, she sighed. "I think this is the beginning of an extremely complicated friendship."_

**XXX**

Sakura smiled, as she sat against the parapet of the same balcony. _'And it was. Except for a few incidents here and there regarding... showers.'_ She bit her lip to keep from giggling, and felt content, recalling how easy it was for them to talk to each other after that day. _'It always got better, didn't it?'_ She saw Syaoran looking at her, seemingly as happy as she was.

Then she remembered why they were sitting together so quietly, without any banter or anything else. She felt the joy slip away from her, as she braced herself to tell Syaoran something she had buried deep in the back of her mind.

Her apprehension must have shown, for Syaoran reached forward to hold her hand gently. "It's okay, Sakura. I'll be here, no matter what."

She nodded, missing the warmth of his hand as it slid out of hers. She sighed again, this time very pensive and started, "It was ... on my tenth birthday."

**XXX**

_The recently turned ten-year-old Sakura bobbed in excitement. She was standing in her room, waiting for her father or her brother to call her downstairs. They had asked her to wait, for they needed to prepare the room for their Sakura's big birthday._

_She couldn't contain her glee as she sped around her room. She spotted the framed picture of her mother on her dresser and ran to it. Picking it up, she chirped, "Okaa-san, your little Sakura isn't so little anymore! I'm ten years old and I'm going to stomp that mean Onii-chan for taking so long with my presents." _

_She pouted at her reflection and placed her mother's photo back carefully. It had been seven years since she had passed away, but Sakura knew that she was in a better place, so she didn't worry too much._

_Giving up on ever being called downstairs, Sakura quietly opened her door and tiptoed down the hallway. She stopped at the top of the stairs, hiding behind the banister. Her heart thudded in her chest and she felt a familiar heat spread across her face. _'Y-Yukito-san is here,'_ she thought giddily._

_Yukito was her brother's best friend, and it was all she could do to keep her eyes off him all the time. It took a lot more effort to be the sensible, smart girl she usually was, when she was around him. _'Yukito-san is my favourite person, and I'm glad he's Onii-chan's friend, cuz then I get to see him all the time!'_ Her eyes sparkled brightly and she briefly thought about going back to her room and waiting. But then she saw something was amiss._

_Yukito was usually giving her a run for her money when it came to being cheery. Today, however, he looked weak and tired and seemed to be having an argument with somebody. Peeping over the top of the banister, she saw her brother. "What is that mean Touya saying now?" she mumbled angrily. _

_Her eyes widened as Sakura saw Yukito faint and before she knew it, she was running downstairs, screaming, "Onii-chan, what happened?"_

_Touya obviously wasn't expecting Sakura down yet. He snapped, "Go back to your room, Sakura." Seeing his sister's hurt look, he added, in a gentler tone, "We haven't finished preparing yet. You don't want – " _

_"Does Touya-nii-chan think I'm a baka?" Sakura glared. "Why did Yukito-san faint?"_

'I don't want her to see this,'_ Touya thought vehemently. "He probably didn't eat much before he got here."_

_"But," Sakura's eyes brimmed with unshed tears. "Yukito-san loves food." She looked at his unconscious body. "Why wouldn't he have eaten enough when he loves food?" Her passionate glare told Touya that she held him responsible for something that wasn't in his control. _'But what's about to happen **is** in my control, and she's going to hate me for a very long time if she sees.'

_"Otou-san!" Touya broke out of his reverie when he heard his sister's cry. "Otou-san, Yukito-san's..."_

_"Yes, Sakura. But it's okay now," Kinomoto Fujitaka gently reassured her. "Touya's going to make Yukito feel much better."_

_"Really?" Sakura's eyes shone in amazement, marvelling at the many things her brother could do. Touya felt his heart shatter. _

_Fujitaka nodded at Sakura and motioned to Touya that he should proceed. Touya sputtered, "In here, Dad?"_

_His father looked a little sad. "There is no other choice. She must see."_

_Sakura stared at them in confusion. "She? Do you mean me?" They didn't answer her and her brother looked like he was about to cry. _'But Touya doesn't cry...'_ Sakura didn't like what she couldn't understand. "What's going on?"_

_She felt fear take over her as her father gripped her shoulders. He was restraining her. _'But from what?'

_Her eyes widened as she saw Touya place his palm on Yukito's chest and close his eyes in concentration. An unearthly glow engulfed them both as Touya's face contorted in pain, and Yukito's body started to respond._

_"Otou-san," Sakura whispered nervously. "What is Onii-chan doing?"_

_"Giving Yue the power to live," her father answered, softly._

_"Yue? That creepy man with wings who stays in Yukito-san's body?" Sakura shivered at the thought of his cold, grey eyes._

_"Sakura," Fujitaka didn't know how to tell her. "Yukito doesn't really exist. He's just a shell for Yue to live in." He flinched at the deep hurt that crossed Sakura's face. "After this... Yukito will cease to exist."_

_His grip on Sakura's shoulders tightened considerably as his daughter realised the meaning behind what he had said. Tears started to flow freely from her eyes, as she screamed, "Onii-chan!"_

_Touya couldn't hear what she was saying, and Yukito's hair was starting to grow just a little longer. Sakura writhed in despair and struggled against her father._

_"No! Nii-chan, don't do it!"_

_"Hush, Sakura. Let your brother do what he must." Fujitaka's voice sounded cold to his own ears and he grimaced at the thought of what it must have sounded like to Sakura._

_"But I don't want him to go!" Sakura shrieked. "Otou-san, tell him to stop!"_

_There was a blinding flash of white light and Touya was now slumped on the floor. Sakura stood still in shock, not daring to believe her eyes._

_Where Yukito had been lying mere seconds ago, a grown man with long silver hair, piercing grey eyes and a pair of gigantic wings stood, looking at Sakura and awaiting her reaction._

_She had none._

_Yue looked down at Touya and helped Fujitaka carry him up to his room. Neither male met her now furious gaze as they passed her by. But they stopped when they heard her whisper, "Why?"_

_"Your brother's magic was the only way to save both Yukito and Yue," her father's voice floated down from the staircase. "Otherwise, in time, they would have disappeared. And Yue's existence is vital for the protection of this country."_

_Sakura didn't understand. Anybody could protect the country. What was so special about that man? Why did her Yukito have to disappear just to make room for him? Wasn't there enough room for them both?_

_She slipped to the floor, completely numb. Staring at the tiles blankly, she failed to notice that her body was emanating with almost the same eerie glow as her brother and Yukito, just minutes ago. It __burned brighter and brighter the longer she stayed without saying a word, until the room was engulfed in the bright golden light. _

_Yue was at the top of the stairs before he sensed anything. _'Damn it, I'm still not used to this form being my own,'_ he thought angrily. He was too late to stop her._

_Finally, Sakura cried out, a long, painful, heartbroken howl and the light started to shimmer until it exploded into a million tiny fragments. The main hall was suddenly freezing. _

_Fujitaka propped Touya up against Yue, who indicated to Sakura's father that he should hurry. It was not a pleasant sight that was awaiting the senior Kinomoto. _

_Sakura hadn't moved an inch and didn't seem to be reacting to the sudden cold. Fujitaka gasped in shock as he saw her lifeless eyes, that had been sparkling brightly less than half an hour ago. She raised the same eyes to meet his, and he had to choke back another gasp that threatened to escape._

_Her stare was as frigid as the inside of the castle._

_He could only watch, as she stood up slowly and opened the castle doors. She said nothing as she observed the raging snowstorm, and proceeded to walk back upstairs to her room. She passed by her father, Yue and Touya without a second glance._

_"A snowstorm?" Fujitaka didn't know whether to be in awe of his daughter or afraid. "In April?"_

_Yue didn't want to offer his insights. He had never been afraid of a little girl before, but Sakura's pointed avoidance chilled him to the bone. _

_Fujitaka and Yue didn't notice a little girl peeping from the gap in her doorway, watching with a blank stare as the two men took care of her brother. They didn't hear the door close with a quiet click and they most certainly didn't hear the only words she spoke for the rest of the day._

_"Happy birthday, Sakura."_

**XXX**

Somewhere during her narration, Syaoran had come to sit beside her and wrapped her in a warm one-armed hug. She cried into his shoulder, all barriers destroyed, as she shared the one thing she had never wished to discuss. Sakura tried to continue; she wanted to finish what she was saying. But Syaoran turned her around so that he could hug her properly, and gently stroked her hair as she poured her heart out.

_'It's been too long,'_ he thought sadly. _'Too long since she's kept all this inside.'_

Sakura, sniffling, gave him a watery smile of gratitude, and managed, "Not much happened after that. My dad died a few months later." She frowned in thought. "I think maybe, it had something to do with me being the way I was. Remember the ice bitch you met on your first day here?"

Syaoran's smile didn't reach his eyes. "How could I forget?"

"I'd been like that for seven years, straight." She paused to regard him, looking a little appreciative. "You know, I never really smiled before you came here." She smiled, as though to demonstrate. "I think that's saying something."

This time he smiled genuinely. "I think so, too."

Sakura looked carefree for the first time in four months. Syaoran held her at an arm's length and stated, rather than asked, "You feel a lot better, don't you?"

"I'm sure you will, too." He looked baffled. She giggled and said, "I know you, Syaoran. You must be feeling awful that you couldn't protect me from all that, even though, logically you know it wouldn't have been possible." She grinned triumphantly at his stumped expression. "And you must be feeling a little bad about not being able to say the right things, now that the mystery behind the cold eyes has been solved at last!"

Syaoran had to laugh at the way she was describing her situation. He kissed her lightly on the nose, and ignored her blush. "Why did you say that I'll feel better as well?"

"Once you tell me what you wanted to, your burden's gone, too." A remarkably simple way to talk about a rather complicated situation.

But he knew she was right.

* * *

**AN:** Dundundun! -is so evil- Yes, Syaoran's past is coming.. tomorrow? Day after? Most likely, tomorrow. So watch this space. XD  
-begs forgiveness from all reviewers- Thank you all for putting up with my cliffie obsession (and continuing to put up with it, hopefully) I will thank each of you individually and give you all a big dose of SS fluff (whenever possible) to show you my appreciation for.. appreciating my work! X) 


	8. Chapter 8

**AN:** I suppose last chapter cleared up why the summary says, "TouyaxYue" and not "Yukito" XP -gets shot for rambling-  
Yes, yes. Syaoran's past here at last. :)

**Disclaimer:** CLAMP owns the cuteness.

* * *

But he knew she was right.

Syaoran looked up at Sakura, and saw her eyes burning bright with unshed tears and... _'There it is again... That encouragement.'_ He clenched his fists and muttered, "Why?"

Sakura was baffled. "Why what?"

"Why do you look at me like that?" Syaoran asked, only partially angry. "I haven't done anything to deserve your unconditional support. I never – why do you treat me so – what makes you so – I can't understand it at all!"

Broken, he started to sob, shielding his tears from Sakura's vision. Extremely concerned now, Sakura crawled beside him and placed a soft hand on his tightly clenched fists. Her heart nearly broke at the lost expression he was giving her. Silently, she embraced him, letting him sob his heart out.

"Syaoran," she whispered when his shoulders stopped moving. "In the same way that you'll always be around for me, I'll always be there for you."

He didn't respond, but she smiled when she felt his hand tighten around her waist. Gathering his wits, he sat up straight again. Syaoran stared at her, eyes flashing with determination. "I need to let it go, don't I?"

"It might rip you apart if you don't," replied Sakura simply.

He nodded once, jaw set rigidly. His tough exterior almost cracked again when Sakura scooted as close to him as possible. She blinked up at him innocently at his questioning glance, and smiled when a hint of his earlier blush appeared. Clearing his throat, Syaoran said, "I think I was three."

He didn't think. He knew he was three. He was trying his best to keep from falling apart again.

**XXX**

_Li Syaoran didn't remember the man's name. All he knew was that it was a smelly, old man, bent double at the waist with a walking stick, who had too much grey hair on his face who handed his fate to him on a dark and rainy evening._

_"Li Syaoran," the old man wheezed. "Now that the leader has passed away, it is your responsibility to uphold the honour of the Li clan."_

_Syaoran was barely interested. He wanted to play with his favourite green ball, but it had gone missing right before his eldest sister had asked him to wait in the courtyard. Not to mention the fact that he didn't understand a word the man was saying. _'What leader of the honour of the Li?' _Syaoran's innocent mind thought. _'I want to play with Mommy. But where is she?'

_The old man seemed to pick up on his disinterest. He rapped Syaoran's arm sharply with the cane he was holding and drew a hiss of pain from the child. "What is it?" Syaoran barked, wincing._

_"Pay attention, brat." The old man looked annoyed. He mumbled, disgruntled, "What are those Elders thinking, making a kid like him take responsibility? It's obvious he's a rebel, not to mention filthy as well."_

_Syaoran took insult at that. He knew he didn't like to obey the rules, but he liked his baths. He glared stonily at the old man and retorted, "You shouldn't talk about filth, old man."_

_His eyes were blazing with anger. "Apologise!"_

_Syaoran was about to throw him another witty comeback, when he spotted his mother across the hall. Forgetting all his pain, he ran towards her and exclaimed joyously, "Mother! Help me find my green ball and then we can play!"_

_He stopped short when he saw the tears in his mother's eyes, along with the firmness that was so often mirrored in his own face. "Mother?" Syaoran asked hesitantly. _

_"Apologise to your grand-uncle, Syaoran," his mother replied, cuttingly. _

_Not wanting to earn the disappointment of his mother, Syaoran turned back hastily, and bowed a quick apology to the man. Grinning back at Yelan, he repeated, "Can we play now?"_

_"No." Syaoran's face fell and took Yelan's heart with it._

_"But why?" Her only son looked like he was about to cry – something he didn't do very often, even at the age of three._

_"Listen to what he has to say. And understand." She could not have stressed the last word more._

_Realising that he wasn't going to get cheek from the brat again, Syaoran's grand-uncle began, rather grandly, "Li Syaoran, it is your responsibility now to become the Li clan's leader, as the last one just passed away. You needn't worry yet. Your duties will start at the age of eighteen. You will be expected to produce an heir within five years of your initiation as clan leader. You will begin training effective immediately, while your mother will have temporary responsibility of looking after your duties. Do you have any questions?" _

_He thought his big words would confuse the boy and scare him into giving his responsibilities up. He was greatly mistaken._

_Syaoran had followed every word, wanting to please his mother desperately. Dredging up the remnants of his calm, he said shortly, "I accept."_

_Yelan had hoped that wouldn't be his answer. "Very well, Syaoran," she said resignedly, ignoring the shocked look on the old man's face. "You have to start your training now."_

_"But... I wanted to play with you." Tears were beginning to leak from the corner of Syaoran's eye._

_"This is more important, Syaoran," Yelan bit out, succeeding in controlling tears of her own. "Your duties for the Li clan always come first. Remember that."_

_"You'll do well to remember another thing, boy." The old man had recovered from his anguish. Syaoran hardly paid attention to him as he muttered, "Oh yeah. What would that be?"_

_"Future leaders of the Li clan do not have friends." He smirked when he saw the crushed look pass the brat's face. "You have friends from outside the Li household now, don't you?" Seeing the nod, he __continued, "You can't tell them anything about your duties. You are to stay within the walls of this household and you may not interact with them ever again. Neither are you allowed to have friends." Pausing to relish the sight of all the hope draining from the boy, he finished, "The only people you will be allowed to interact with are the people in this household, and the people you will be assigned to protect."_

_Yelan hushed the old man when she saw the blank look on her son's face. "That's enough now."_

_"Don't go soft on us, Yelan," he warned. "There's only worse from here on out."_

_Syaoran would never forget how right he was. _

_From the very next minute, his 'training' began. The first phase to his training was building endurance. This was to be accomplished by locking the child in one of the underground cellars, with food being provided twice a day through a hole in the door. The room was small, with a grilled window high on one wall. The door and walls were made of solid metal and for the first few days, Syaoran did nothing except bang on the door, screaming and crying for his mother. His fists turned red and eventually started to bleed, and his voice became hoarse and ultimately stopped coming out of his throat, all energy tapped out from pleading for his mother. He would never know that the door, while being incredibly thick, did not prevent sound from leaking out. He would never find out that his mother was constantly on the other side of the door, wanting desperately to set her child free, but was always restrained by some male Li. _

_Time had ceased to have any meaning for Syaoran. He couldn't cry out when he couldn't talk, although he was determined to start again whenever he could. His hands were raw and he couldn't eat his meagre food without wincing every other minute. His voice took such a long time to come back, that he had given up wishing that somebody would be merciful and let him out. He had forgotten the sound of anything except his own voice. He hadn't seen anybody since being held captive, except for Him._

_The day Syaoran stopped screaming was the day the Elders asked Yelan to attend a meeting in another country. His mother had been the only thing preventing Him from coming for Syaoran. Although she resisted greatly, there wasn't a soul who could get away with escaping clan duties. Forced to abandon her son, she flew to her destination, hoping that by the time she got back, he would be free. She would come to regret that hope soon enough._

_The same day that Yelan was away from the door was the first time Syaoran met Him. He was a delicately built man, with a pencil-thin moustache and permanently smiling eyes. When Syaoran first saw Him, he thought he was being saved. _

_How wrong he was._

_The first day, Syaoran thought it was an accident that he kept getting pushed against the wall whenever He spoke to Syaoran, but didn't get an answer. The second day, he grew a little suspicious when the shoves became punches. The third day, he knew something was happening, but he didn't know what, when the punches became violent kicks._

_Those first three days were the only days Syaoran even attempted to fight back. When the Man started to bring in whips and sharp knives, Syaoran knew that he would get hurt if he tried to resist too much. He silently lay writhing on the ground, accepting whatever was dealt to him. _'After all, they're trying to build endurance, aren't they?'_Syaoran's thoughts were bitter. _'I doubt I'll be able to become any more pain-resistant than this.'

_The Man came to Syaoran's room thirty times – he counted. On the thirty-first day, Syaoran was dully anticipating the blows that were going to come inevitably, and blandly wondered what tool it was going to be that day, when he smelt a very familiar, once cherished scent. _'Mother.'

_Yelan nearly cried out loud seeing the miserable state Syaoran was in. Bloody, bruised and battered was the simplest way to put it. His clothes were hanging off his body, when once they had fit like second skin. His previously unmarred face was now covered in healing wounds and fresh wounds that hadn't been treated. She hugged him fiercely, but minding all the wounds and she knew she had lost her son when his arms stayed stiffly by his side._

_"Syaoran," she whispered sadly, brushing the bangs off his face. "Who did this to you?"_

_"It was to build endurance, Mother," was the cold reply she got._

'It was too long,'_ Yelan thought, heart-broken._ 'We kept him in there for three months. He's only almost four years old.'_ She glanced at her son, who was now limping beside her, gazing steadily ahead. _'He looks so much older.'

_Syaoran had heard that children don't tend to remember things from before the age of five. He had smiled sadly when he discovered that he was, yet again, an exception to the rule. _

_After being freed from the cellar, Syaoran's regular training began. He had fencing and sparring lessons with different people, on different days. He learnt to hone his reclusive magic skills from a wise old sage, who pitied the young child who had grown up too fast. But the pity had come too late. _

_Syaoran had trained and trained, until normal people would have dropped from exhaustion. It was his routine for the next fourteen years of his life. He became an excellent fighter and a skilled magician, who could control the four elements without blinking. He learnt far quicker than most other children his age, and never showed the slightest sign of boredom or frustration. By his seventeenth birthday, he was a formidable foe to anyone who dared to cross his path, or his family's._

_But members of the Li family, especially those closest to Syaoran, could never say that his phenomenal growth was a good thing. Though they came to accept it eventually, they always remembered his smile and the way he was so enthusiastic about everything. Not once had anybody seen the young master smile, since the day he was brought out of the cellar._

_During the fourteen years, Syaoran spoke to no one, except those who spoke to him. He was always polite and never used his skills to his unfair advantage. When he was fifteen, he was introduced to his cousin Meilin, who apparently was in love with him. Syaoran would have snickered if he had been capable of showing any expression of humour. _'In love,'_ Syaoran thought derisively. _'What does she know about me to love?'

_Syaoran developed an intense fondness for books, partially due to his family's extensive library. When he was not training, he would spend long, lonely hours hidden among the shelves. When he discovered Meilin's persistence, his attachment to the library only increased – the vast expanse of space proved to be an effective hiding place against love struck cousins. _

_He had read about love in a lot of his books. It had been the downfall of many emperors, and had led to several unnecessary deaths. He had honestly thought it was an exaggerated description to place blame on something other than negligence on the part of the rulers. Either that, or love was a pest. His opinion shifted drastically towards the 'pest' option when his cousin stayed in his house for the next two years, hoping to get Syaoran to change his mind. _

_By the time he was sixteen, his family, especially his mother, thought that he had forgotten about his past experience, and was moving on. So when he failed to react even when the most important people in the Li clan were praising his skills, his mother lost her temper. _

_She yelled about dishonouring the family's name and bringing shame to everybody, especially her, and how she used to be proud of the way Syaoran was, but couldn't bring herself to acknowledge that he was her son these days. She went on and on for hours, yelling herself hoarse, all the while keeping her back turned to him._

_Nothing could have prepared her for the icy look her son gave her as he said, "I became a man when I was three years old, Mother." He barely acknowledged the flinch and the hurt that crossed her face. "I did it only for you."_

_He walked out of the room without giving his mother an opportunity to say another word. He was in his room in a flash, and would never know the tears she shed, or the long hours it took for her to finally subside._

_Syaoran never smiled, in all of fourteen years. Neither did he see the Man, ever again. He wasn't sure if he was grateful, or if he was disappointed that he couldn't castrate the Man himself. _

_Despite what his family thought, though, in all of the same fourteen years, Syaoran never shed a single tear._

**XXX**

Which was remarkably different from the current situation.

Syaoran was crying openly, not trusting himself to look at Sakura, whose face was wet with silent tears that she had cried for the poor, young Syaoran. _'My poor Syaoran,'_ she thought sadly.

She didn't know what to say. _'There is no right thing to say in a situation like this.'_ She felt completely helpless, but she knew it was nothing compared to what Syaoran must be going through. He had opened himself up completely, after shutting himself off for so many years. It was no surprise that he couldn't stop crying.

Still not knowing what to say, Sakura slowly put her hands on his face and wiped away the tears that had already fallen. Startled, Syaoran looked up at her and touched her own tears. "Why... are you crying... Sakura?"

"Baka," she sniffled. "You're hurting. I'm being there for you."

He couldn't comprehend what she was saying. "But... why?"

"Syaoran," she whispered gently. "I'm your friend. I will be there for you, no matter what."

It was all he needed. Not caring that she was the Princess he was supposed to be protecting, and that he should maintain some semblance of formality around her, even if it was for appearance's sake, he clutched her tiny waist like his life depended on it.

Sakura smiled, a little sadly, as she stroked his soft, unruly hair. Replacing her hand with her head, she mumbled in a low tone, but high enough for him to catch, "I'll always be there for you... my Syaoran."

She closed her eyes and relaxed in the musky, male scent that defined Syaoran and felt herself drifting off slightly, exhausted by the high emotions that had been dictating her life for the last few hours.

Syaoran felt her breathing even out, and realised she had fallen asleep. He had one foot on cloud nine just being around her and inhaling the Sakura smell of cherry blossoms. His other foot joined him when he heard "... my Syaoran..." He tried not to grin, realising that the evening had been too sombre to be delighted about a small slip in titles. _'But she called me hers.'_ Syaoran wouldn't forget.

He thought his eyes felt heavier than usual, and shut them for a while, meaning to get up soon. He joined Sakura in sleep almost immediately, his last coherent thought amusing him for mere seconds.

_'I can't believe I cried so much.'_

* * *

**AN: **I think I'm all drama-ed out. Thank you to all the lovely people who wished me luck on my exam! I think I did well... And big hugs to all the reviewers!

-hinthint- Revieew. -hinthint-


	9. Chapter 9

**AN:** Since the last chapter was so drama-fied, this chapter is full of SxS goodness. :)

**Disclaimer:** Syaoran isn't mine.. Just like the rest of them.

* * *

A dull, throbbing sensation tore Sakura away from her deep sleep. Groggily, she lifted her head and hissed sharply when she felt a shooting pain go up her neck. _'Why is it hurting so much?'_ She looked down feeling a weight on her lap, and smiled softly, recalling the events of the previous night. Her gaze grew more tender as she saw Syaoran sleeping peacefully, his lips turned slightly upward. _'I have never seen him sleep like that.'_

Despite the fact that she wanted to, she knew she couldn't sit like that forever. Her legs were becoming numb and she was beginning to feel prickly sensations when she tried to move her toes. But, Sakura was extremely reluctant to wake Syaoran up, for the sake of alleviating her discomfort. _'I'll let him be for just a little while longer.'_

Something was nagging her from the back of her mind, and she couldn't place it, no matter how hard she tried. Sakura vaguely remembered dreaming about a visitor coming to the castle in the near future. She frowned in concentration, attempting to identify the face she saw – a creepy looking man, who smiled too much. _'Inappropriately, I should say,'_ Sakura thought grumpily.

A low rumble drove all thoughts of the mystery man from her dreams out of Sakura's head. Syaoran felt a little disoriented, but he had never felt more rested. He inhaled the familiar sweet smell that defined Sakura and smiled into her stomach. _'Stomach?'_ His eyes opened in a flash and he shot up, ignoring the fact that he was already missing the warmth of her body. The usual red creeped up his neck and started to reach his face, as he sputtered an apology.

Sakura made no effort to hide her petulance. "Didn't we already cross the stage of needlessly apologising to each other?"

Syaoran grinned. "We never actually did that one."

Sakura smiled back, marvelling at how different he seemed today. _'Nobody will believe that this same person was once a huge crab and was crying his eyes out just last night.'_

He shot her a curious glance as she giggled randomly. "Sakura?"

"It's nothing," she chirped, trying to conceal 'nothing'.

Syaoran frowned, but let it go. He looked around him once before asking Sakura, "So, what do we do today?"

Sakura didn't have an answer to that. _'This place really is boring, unless you're trying to annoy somebody else.'_ She glanced at Syaoran, a hesitant idea forming, but shoved the thought out of her head before it could form roots. _'There's no way he'd do that.'_

It appeared that she was wrong. Realising that the castle had nothing in store for them, Syaoran thought of one thing that they could do. _'But she might not like the suggestion.'_ He decided to risk it anyway and asked Sakura cautiously, "How would you like to train?"

Sakura felt as though somebody had knocked the wind out of her, and Syaoran's face fell, misinterpreting the look. "I didn't mean to impose," he added hastily. "I just thought since we have nothing else to do, I could help you bring your magic under control."

The initial shock had passed, and annoyance had settled on Sakura's face, along with the slightest hint of extreme gratitude. Instead of thanking him, she muttered angrily, "I thought I just said something about apologising."

Syaoran ignored her grumbling; he had understood what she was trying to say. "So," he tried not to sound too excited. "We'll start today?"

Smiling warmly, Sakura replied, "First, bath and food." The smile turned into a laugh when his expression told her that he had forgotten all about usual daily activities. Reaching up to ruffle his hair, she continued, "Then, Syaoran, we'll start."

Her heart warmed as he beamed in delight.

**XXX**

Three hours later, they found themselves in Syaoran's room, fresh and properly fed. To ensure that they would not be interrupted, Syaoran had locked all the doors that could lead passers-by into his room. He was so busy checking that the room was safe and protected against all intruders, that he failed to notice apprehension flicker across Sakura's face.

He caught a glimpse of it, however, just as she managed to bring her fears under control. Dropping his sword on the bed, he walked up to her and placed two gentle fingers under her chin. "Why are you afraid of me?"

Sakura nearly broke at the desolate look in her protector's eyes. "Syaoran," she rushed, soothingly. "I'm not afraid of you. I could never - "

"Then, why do you look so frightened?" He cut her off, and she realised that his past wasn't all that troubled Syaoran. _'He thinks I'm scared he's going to hurt me?'_

"The last time I brought magic into the picture, I turned the country into a huge chunk of ice." She smiled at him reassuringly. "I trust you with my life, Syaoran. I'm not worried that whatever training you put me through is going to hurt."

Visibly relaxing, he smiled back at her slowly. He pecked her quickly on the top of her head, and his smile grew broader at the now extremely familiar flush. He was delighted that she hadn't made the slightest move to escape from the two-finger hold he still had on her. _'She really does trust me not to hurt her.'_ The realisation made his face nearly split in two; the grin was that big.

Syaoran brought up his right hand and lifted two fingers to his face. Sakura regarded him with open curiosity, which turned into wonder as tiny wisps of wind appeared around his right hand. She gasped in shock as the wind disappeared as suddenly as it had come, and was about to say something when she felt a cool breeze around her neck, whipping her hair up and making the shorter strands fly into her face.

_'All the doors are closed,'_ Sakura thought, a little afraid again. _'Where's the wind coming from?'_

She glanced at Syaoran nervously, wind still blowing her hair around. Syaoran was struck with a sudden suspicion. "Sakura, are you scared of ghosts?"

She paled. "Hoeee."

_'That's enough of an answer for me.'_ Syaoran tried not to smirk. His precious Sakura was afraid of ghosts, and knowing her, she probably thought the sudden wind was the fault of ghosts that had entered the castle.

"Sakura," he said gently. "The wind is my magic." Her brilliant green orbs looked at him, brimming over with hope. "There aren't any ghosts in here."

Realising that her fears were unfounded, the Princess heaved a sigh of relief. She then took stock of the breeze that still hadn't stopped playing with her hair, and asked, "How are you doing that?"

"I can control the elements," Syaoran replied simply. "Fire and wind are easier for me, but lightning is my strong point." He stopped when he saw her astounded look. "What is it?"

Sakura was having a hard time forming a coherent sentence. Finally, she managed, "You talk about it so easily." He waited for her to continue. "I don't even know what powers I have, forget trying to bring them under my control."

Syaoran made the wind dissipate as he saw her teary gaze. He brushed his fingers softly over her eyes, wiping the tears away before they could fall. "Everybody starts out the same way, Sakura." She looked hopeful again. "The first step is common to anybody trying to control magic."

Sakura sniffed, but her eyes flashed with determination. "What is it?"

Syaoran smiled at her resolve. "Try to conjure a small, glowing ball."

She appraised him sceptically. "That is a lot easier said than done, Syaoran."

"Maybe." Syaoran shrugged in feigned indifference. "But you'll never really know unless you try."

"Show me how." Sakura didn't want to admit defeat before she had even started. _'But I don't know the first thing about magic, so how am I going to bring out a glowing ball from thin air?'_

Syaoran raised an eyebrow and raised his palm to her eye level. In mere seconds, a medium-sized ball appeared, glowing bright orange. Sakura slumped in resignation. "I have to do that?" Her slump grew more pronounced as Syaoran nodded in amusement. "Is there some special shortcut trick?" One shake of the head and she knew she was going to be spending a lot of her time concentrating. _'Concentrating on what, is my question.'_

Sakura rid herself of all the negative thoughts that had crammed themselves into her head and instead focused on an image of the glowing sphere that Syaoran had conjured. She closed her eyes and tried to picture the sphere unwaveringly in her mind. _'Come on, Sakura. Syaoran said this was basic. If you complete this, then you're one step closer to fixing what's wrong with this country.'_

On that note of self-encouragement, Sakura brought her cupped palms up and concentrated on transferring the ball in her head to her hands. She frowned and beads of sweat popped up on her forehead, as the effort started to take its toll. He was worried, but Syaoran refrained from stopping her. _'She has to learn. If she wants to do it, she has to get past this.'_

He was far from prepared for what was taking place, however. The walls were shaking slightly, and his sword had fallen off the bed and was now clunking its way along the floor. The doors in his room were rattling in their frames and Syaoran was afraid of what might happen if the King found out that they were practicing magic. _'He'll have my life if he hears that the brat was helping his precious sister train.'_

Syaoran's fears were, it turned out, unnecessary. Just when he was about to shake her out of her trance, her eyes snapped open and a fiery orange ball appeared in between them, much larger than he had demonstrated. His eyes widened at the size of the sphere. _'How powerful is she?'_ Syaoran wondered, staring at the young girl who was smiling at her first attempt at controlled magic. _'That first sphere is supposed to determine the latent abilities of the conjurer. The fact that the room was almost falling apart means that...'_

He trailed off when he saw Sakura looking at him expectantly. "You have a lot of power, Sakura." Her bemused expression told Syaoran that his statement wasn't what she was expecting from him. "That sphere," he explained, pointing to the object that hovered between them. "It determines how powerful the person truly is. That's why it's the first step."

Sakura didn't really understand much. She asked, a little hesitant, "So the first cut isn't the deepest?"

"It gets harder," he replied, sympathy lining his words. He remembered how painful the training could be. It looked like Sakura was thinking the same thing as she exclaimed, "Oh, Syaoran. You did this when you were so much younger, and without complaining too."

Her eyes were welling up again, and the glowing orb shattered into tiny fragments as her concentration broke. Glad that there was nothing between them, Syaoran stepped up to her and held her face in his hands. "It was a really long time ago, Sakura." A single tear fell from her right eye. "I didn't really think much of it at that time." There was a tiny trail on her left cheek.

Desperate now, Syaoran added, "If anything, I'm glad it happened." Her eyes stared into his, shining brightly with copious amounts of confusion. Smiling in relief that the tears had stopped for the moment, he explained, "If I hadn't trained that much, I wouldn't have been worthy enough to be sent here."

Sakura felt a huge lump in her throat. _'I am not going to cry anymore,'_ she thought firmly. Instead she swallowed hard, and asked softly, "You're really that happy that you came here?"

She squeaked as he rapped her head lightly. "Who's the baka now?"

Said baka was not very pleased with Syaoran's answer. He smiled at her grumpy expression. "Sakura, you really are an idiot if you think that I'm not happy to have come here."

"You could have put it better," she muttered, under her breath. _'I need to learn to talk in a lower tone when I don't want him to hear me,'_ she thought in irritation, as he grinned.

Without warning, Syaoran grabbed Sakura around the waist and pulled her to him. _'She has no idea how adorable she is when she's flustered.'_ Her eyes were clouded over, and he could see just the barest hint of a blush. "Syaoran?" Sakura mumbled dreamily.

"I'm sorry I made you work so hard on your first day," he replied softly, brushing her bangs from her face.

"I didn't mind." Sakura wondered what had brought about the sudden change in Syaoran's mood. _'Not that I'm complaining.'_ "If anything, I enjoyed it." Giggling slightly at his incredulous look, she elaborated, "Everyone's always treating me like a dainty little princess."

"That's because you are a dainty little princess." Syaoran grinned as Sakura playfully punched his shoulder.

"I've never really been allowed to tire myself out like that," she continued, as though there had been no interruption. "In a really exhausting way, I had fun."

Syaoran smiled his gratitude at her, and no words were exchanged for a while, as they relished the undivided attention that the other was giving them. He didn't break his hold on Sakura, even when he thought he sensed somebody on the other side of his door. Syaoran barely remembered the possible interruption as the feeling faded, and Sakura continued to gaze up at him like he was her world. _'I know that she's mine.'_

Sakura suddenly became very aware of their close proximity. _'I wonder if he would... When I thought about him giving me training, it was like he read my mind.'_ The Princess didn't even try to suppress her next thought. _'He's so close to me... Is he thinking about it too?'_

Sakura thought that he was, given the sudden haze that covered his eyes. Almost unconsciously, he covered the remaining gap between them, pulling Sakura closer at the same time. Her eyes widened slightly and almost immediately fluttered closed. Syaoran could feel her breath on his lips. Her lips were a hair's breadth away, when a loud banging on the door startled them enough to leap a foot away from each other. Syaoran jumped in his shoes as a sudden blast of snowy wind thrashed violently against the French windows. _'What the – Sakura?'_

One glance at the livid girl told him that he was right. _'She did that on purpose?'_ Bewildered, Syaoran called out, "What is it?"

He heard Daidouji's muffled voice. "Syaoran-kun! Sakura! It's time for dinner!"

"I'm not hungry," Sakura hissed softly, still furious. _'Not for food anyway,'_ she thought, sneaking a glance at the still-shocked Syaoran.

"We'll be there in a few minutes," Syaoran answered, shooting Sakura a concerned look.

He waited for Tomoyo's footsteps to fade away, before he dared to go near the Princess. It looked like her anger had faded slightly, only to be replaced by the blank look he thought he had seen the last of, weeks ago.

"Sakura," he started gently. She raised her eyes towards his. He sighed, relieved that the dead look had passed and her rage was back. "It's okay." Sakura snorted lightly, obviously very disbelieving. "Do you remember what I promised you yesterday before we went down for dinner?"

She racked her brains for the memory. _'So much has happened in just one day,'_ she realised, a bit belatedly. All traces of her wrath vanished as she recalled the promise Syaoran was talking about. They both smiled together as he nodded. "I will finish what we started, Sakura." She nearly squealed when he added darkly, "And I'll kill anybody who tries to interrupt."

Extremely happy now, Sakura stood up on tiptoes and kissed Syaoran softly on the cheek. Laughing delicately at the surprised look on his face, she linked her arm through his. "Let's go down to dinner."

Barely concealing his astonishment at her sudden forwardness, Syaoran could only nod and escort her downstairs to the dining room. He distinctly remembered the furious wind that Sakura had created earlier. _'Only because Tomoyo knocked at the wrong time.'_ He glanced at the cheery Princess out of the corner of his eye and felt something strange give inside him at the thought that he was the one who would help her control her powers. Syaoran suppressed the spasm of pride that shot through him at the thought, and tried not to grin like a blithering idiot.

They stopped in front of the doors that led to the dreaded room. Syaoran sighed and heard a rush of breath from the petite girl beside them. They reluctantly let go of each other's arms and gave up their content demeanours. _'It's actually becoming difficult to do this,'_ they both thought, as their gazes became blank and the smiles slid like oil off their faces.

Syaoran pushed the door open for his Princess, and hoped beyond all reason that the nightmare would soon end.

* * *

**AN:** I think I'm going to get killed if I interrupt them one more time. But I want it to be perfect, and it will happen **soon.**

Big thank you's to all the reviewers. A lot of you want to (understandably) kill the Li clan. XD And, I don't intend on making any chapter as dramatic as the last one. It's hard to write about SxS when all they want to do is cry. Oh well. Flashbacks and fluff are so handy.

Next chapter should be up in a couple of days. Hope you liked this one. :)


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: **Is it just me, or are the chapters getting progressively shorter? -must do something about it-

**Disclaimer:** I've said it nine times already.

* * *

Sakura stared at her ceiling blankly, wondering if it would provide her with answers about what she was supposed to do. She had been lying in bed for a couple of hours, at least, without nodding off. She frowned grumpily as she heard light snores from the adjacent room. _'He didn't have to face Tomoyo's inquisition earlier.'_

_Tomoyo, Sakura and Syaoran were trudging their way back upstairs, and the Princess kept getting curious glances from her best friend. Tomoyo's interest seemed to peak when she saw Syaoran wait for __**her**__ to leave, so that he could spend time with Sakura. When he realised that she wasn't going anywhere, he had looked more than a little annoyed and had stormed off into his room without another word._

_Sakura was crushed, but she knew that she couldn't avoid talking to Tomoyo about it forever. If the insistent way Tomoyo dragged her into the room was any sign, her maid was just about to die from not knowing what was going on between the two teenagers who were so opposed to each other mere months ago._

_Without waiting for Sakura to settle down, Tomoyo said rapidly, "I know I said I'd mind my own business, and that it was all between you and Syaoran-kun." When the Princess nodded in hesitation, she continued, "But I can't take it any longer. All those sneaky looks and the foot __nudges__ under the table. Don't think I haven't noticed," she added warningly, at Sakura's suddenly huge eyes. "Even a blind man would see what was going on. In fact, I'm surprised your brother hasn't talked to you about it."_

_"Touya and I don't talk that much anymore, remember?" Sakura said blankly. _

_Tomoyo sighed sadly. "That's a different story altogether. The only thing I'm interested in now is the situation between Syaoran-kun and my Princess." Her eyes sparkled, anticipating an extremely romantic story ahead._

_She wasn't too disappointed as Sakura, albeit a little reluctantly, described the more important events of the last four months. She had to reign in her laughter, however, at Tomoyo's reactions. Wide eyes, jaw almost reaching the floor and absolute speechlessness._

_Tomoyo didn't know if she was more shocked that Sakura had told Syaoran what had happened with Yukito or by the number of times that they had 'almost' kissed. She remembered the long hours, which had turned into days, weeks and months, that she spent consoling Sakura when she cried and trying to break Sakura out of the new shell that she had built around herself after her tenth birthday. Tomoyo couldn't forget how all of Sakura's potential suitors were spurned before they set foot in the castle, because she couldn't even look at a man like that without thinking about her supposed first love, who had disappeared._

_She managed to break out of her thoughts and demanded, "Why haven't you two kissed yet?"_

_Sakura bit her lip and retorted, "Aren't you more curious about how I managed to talk about Y-Yukito?"_

_Tomoyo raised an extremely inquisitive brow at the name. _'She stuttered, but I haven't heard her say it in years. Syaoran-kun really is amazing.'_ She replied slowly, "Of course I am. But my role as your best friend is taking precedence right now, and I want to know why it hasn't happened."_

_Losing control over her flush, Sakura said timidly, "Interruptions. __All the time."_

_"So what's stopping you now?" _

_Sakura shot Tomoyo a blank look that clearly said, "You."_

_Ignoring the Princess, Tomoyo went on, "And he's training you? __With magic?__ Can you do that glowing ball thing now?"_

_"I don't really want to try it right now." At the questioning look she got, Sakura explained, "I can't bring all my power under control yet. When I tried it this afternoon, the room started to shake."_

_"We thought that was an earthquake," Tomoyo mumbled thoughtfully. She stared at Sakura unblinkingly, who was beginning to feel a little weird. __"Tomoyo?"__ She asked cautiously._

_Abruptly the dark-haired girl sat up and said, "Sakura, do you love him?"_

_Sakura could have sworn her entire body was the colour of a ripe tomato. __"H-h-hoe-e?"_

_"Don't 'hoe' me," Tomoyo admonished. "It's a pretty simple question. Do you love Syaoran-kun?"_

'It doesn't have a simple answer!'_ Sakura wanted to scream. She settled for increasing the intensity of her blush. _

_Regarding her gently, Tomoyo said, with an air of finality. "Well, you think about it and let me know." Standing up, she smirked slightly. "Or better yet, let him know." __Giggling at the deep maroon that now covered her best friend's face, Tomoyo waved a tiny goodnight, before closing the door behind her._

Which brought Sakura right back to where she was – asking her ceiling for answers. _'Do I love Syaoran?'_ In the cold privacy of her room, the blush stayed away. _'He is very attractive... And despite his initial meanness, he's been pretty sweet all this time... To Tomoyo, too...'_ Sakura sighed, realising that her list of good things about Syaoran would probably go on forever.

She frowned as she felt her eyelids become heavy. She didn't want to fall asleep yet. She needed answers. _'Do I...?'_

Sakura saw Yue try to talk to her when she was eleven. She could see Touya's hair sticking out from the corner around the wall, where he was hiding and listening to their supposed conversation. She didn't want to give them the satisfaction of a human interaction, so she answered all of Yue's questions shortly and stomped off to her room before Touya could yell at her for being a baka.

She was surprised to see Syaoran appear in front of her suddenly. _'He wasn't in this memory,'_ Sakura thought, creases marring her forehead. But the Syaoran she was seeing was a lot smaller than the Syaoran who was sleeping less than fifteen feet away from her. The young Syaoran looked like he had been having a bad decade, even though he couldn't have been older than five. She also noticed a very peculiar expression on his face. _'He's scared? __Of what?'_

The thin man from her dreams last night materialised, startling her out of her wits. The surroundings suddenly twisted around her and rearranged itself to resemble the main hall of the Kinomoto castle. The creepy man was clutching a bag that looked like a doctor's kit and Sakura thought she saw three sharp knives sticking out, glinting ominously. The man started to approach Syaoran, now fully grown again, and Sakura would never forget the look of incapacitating fear that had embedded itself across her guardian's face.

She rushed to stand in the way, hoping to stall whatever was coming, but she was flung across the room with barely a flick of the hand. Wincing, she managed to look up only to catch a glimpse of the man smiling eerily at her. She could only watch helplessly as he started to take out his instruments, cackling in mock amusement at the defensive stance that Syaoran had taken with his sword held firmly in front of him.

Seconds later, the sword was lodged in the wall, inches away from Sakura's face and all the breath rushed out of her. She cried out as the man slashed Syaoran across the face and desperately screamed for the man to stop. Her pleas fell on deaf ears as the cutting motions became more rapid and, horror-struck, Sakura sat watching Syaoran resignedly accepting the injuries, like it was something completely beyond his control.

"Syaoran! Do something!" Summoning the remnants of her energy, Sakura hollered, "Magic! Martial arts! Anything!" She sobbed as her Syaoran's face dripped with blood. "Please... Don't die, Syaoran..." The life went out of his eyes as her cries escalated. "Syaoran!"

Sakura felt something jolting her shoulders and slapping her face lightly. "Sakura, wake up!"

"Syaoran, don't die," she mumbled, tossing around in Syaoran's tight grip. Tears slid down her face, joining the ones that had fallen minutes ago. "I need you, Syaoran. Don't go." Unconsciously, she gripped the front of his shirt tighter as her chest heaved with sobs.

Syaoran was agonised by the amount of pain Sakura was in. _'What the hell is she dreaming about?'_ he thought furiously, as he kept shaking her, trying to wake her up.

Frustrated, Syaoran clutched Sakura to his chest and whispered into her ear, "You have to wake up, Sakura. Whatever you're dreaming about, we can fix it. Together." His voice cracked with the effort of trying not to cry, as he continued, "Come back to me, Sakura. I won't allow the nightmares to touch you. Just... Please... Wake up."

He felt an arm go around his neck and he nearly broke all over again. Syaoran breathed a sigh of relief into her neck and felt her twitch slightly. He pulled away from Sakura and stared at her glistening eyes. _'She's still crying,'_ he thought remorsefully.

Sakura, still in a dream-induced haze, couldn't believe that Syaoran was alive and sitting in front of her, looking perfectly normal. She traced the contours of his face gently, only slightly disbelieving now. She heard him ask, "What did you dream about, Sakura?"

Not wanting to rehash the nightmare, she waved the question away and mumbled a distant, "Later." Her fingers roved around his cheeks, which had been so badly cut up just a few minutes ago. _'That was just a dream,'_ she reminded herself. It had to be a dream, for his face was as smooth and soft as ever.

Almost distractedly, Sakura questioned, looking at Syaoran right in the eye, "Do you love me?"

Taken aback, Syaoran replied intelligently, "Wha-?"

"It's remarkably simple to ask, isn't it?" Sakura said gently. "But the answer is never as easy."

He realised that she wasn't talking when she was half-asleep. Sakura was wide awake and making deep statements that wouldn't have been possible if even a part of her mind was preoccupied with whatever it was she had dreamt about. Sakura looked deeply puzzled as Syaoran smiled.

Before she knew what was happening, Sakura felt the slight yet firm pressure of his lips on hers. _'So soft...'_ she thought, smiling slightly. When her thoughts had passed, her mind was alerted to a frenzy of completely new sensations that Syaoran was inducing in her. She felt her stomach drop out from inside her and in her opinion, had she not been lying on her bed, she would have probably fallen down from the weak feeling in her knees. The tumultuous feelings that had been awakened caused a gasp to slip from Sakura.

Syaoran sought to grasp the opportunity and hesitantly slipped his tongue into her mouth. They both moaned simultaneously, trying to suppress the rush of heady emotions that the mutually new experience was bringing. Sakura's arms were locked in a death grip around Syaoran's neck and she felt herself being pressed up completely against Syaoran's body, with his arms wrapped firmly around her tiny waist.

They broke apart, breathing heavily and Sakura found herself gazing directly into Syaoran's smiling face. "Who's the baka now?" he asked softly, tapping her nose with his finger.

"Hoe?" Befuddled, Sakura still found the room to blush furiously.

Syaoran laughed as he brushed away stray wisps of her hair that had fluttered onto her face. "The answer isn't as difficult as you think it is, Sakura."

Sakura refused to get her hopes up. _'I might just be imagining things... __Although it is very hard to imagine something as amazing as that kiss.'_

Syaoran sighed, still smiling. _'She can be really dense sometimes.'_ Looking at her adoringly, he said, "I love you, Sakura." He grinned at her shocked expression, which slowly turned into nervousness as Sakura burst into tears and hugged him as though her life depended on it.

"What happened?" Worry lined his voice and he wondered what he had done wrong.

She looked up at him and choked, "I love you too, Syaoran." Sakura sniffled and Syaoran pouted. "You could sound a little happier, you know."

Smiling now, Sakura said, "I'm a baka, aren't I?" A wicked glint in Syaoran's eyes told her he didn't disagree. She rolled her eyes. "I just thought... After Yukito... "

A calloused finger on her lips stopped her. "None of that now," Syaoran hushed. Upon seeing her bewildered look, he said simply, "You have me."

Sakura caught the hand that was preventing her from talking and laced it through her own. Smiling rather coyly, she purred, "I do, don't I?" Her face was millimetres away from his when she said timidly, "Syaoran, please don't leave me."

"I wouldn't even if you forced me to," he said reassuringly, leaning forward to capture her lips with his once again, cutting off any further conversation that they might have had.

The two teenagers lay together on the Princess's bed, elated at the new level that their relationship had progressed to. Content to just be in Syaoran's arms, Sakura drifted off again and she vaguely heard Syaoran promise, "I won't let the nightmares get you."

She smiled groggily, yet brightly and mumbled, "I know you won't."

* * *

**AN:** None of you can kill me now XD Updates are going to be a little slower from now, because I realised there are a lot of inconsistencies in the fic that I need to sort out. Plus I'm starting to get annoyed at the shortness of the chapters and I'm going to try to post longer chapters, which means maybe an extra day or so.

Once again, big love and thanks to all the reviewers:)


	11. Chapter 11

**AN:** So much for increasing length. -.-'' As of this chapter, the rating is being pushed up to M, so be prepared to handle graphic (by ff standards) situations in later chapters. Also, I was serious about implied TouyaxYue in the summary, so if you have a problem with shounen-ai, take it somewhere else.  
That's all the threats for now. :)

**Disclaimer:** CLAMP is the only one with the ability to draw such amazing characters. (cases in point: Kamui and Subaru, but once again, wrong fandom)

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Four months had passed since Syaoran's arrival at the Kinomoto castle, and spring had turned into summer. But the country knew no warm summers and prepared itself for another fairly frosty season, which was only marginally better than the rest of the year. It was hardly surprising, then, that the villagers and townsfolk were shocked beyond words and stared at the sky for an entire day, due to the mysterious appearance of bright, dazzling sunlight and the burning heat that accompanies most summers.

It was one of the rays of sunlight that woke Sakura up. She wasn't used to the light and she could have sworn she had drawn the blinds across the French windows before falling asleep the previous night.

Groggily rubbing her eyes, she scanned her surroundings and was disappointed to see Syaoran missing. _'He must have left early,'_ she thought sadly. She stared at the shadow that fell on her floor, not realising what she was looking at. _'Shadows need light... There isn't any sunlight in the country.'_

Confused now, Sakura glanced up and saw the man she was missing standing with his face turned upwards, obviously relishing the warmth. The Princess stared at the sun in disbelief and realised belatedly that she was feeling incredibly hot. She padded her way across the room to join Syaoran, who had the biggest smile she had ever seen plastered on his face.

"Sakura," he greeted warmly. "Isn't this amazing?"

She could only nod, not understanding how the cold had disappeared overnight. _'Literally,'_ she thought, nervously chewing on her nail.

"What's wrong?" Syaoran gazed at her in concern, and she didn't want to hide anything from him.

"I - " Sakura began hesitantly. Trying to gain some of Syaoran's cheery resolve that seemed to be in excess that morning, she stuttered, "I don't know how this happened. I didn't do anything this time. How could - "

Her words were cut off as Syaoran enveloped her in a comforting hug. "Baka," he mumbled gently into her hair. Sakura's eyes widened and she looked up at him, completely lost. Something akin to realisation dawned in his eyes as he said, "You don't remember, do you?"

Shaking her head vehemently, Sakura asked, "You know how this happened?"

"You must have been talking in your sleep," Syaoran said distantly. Focusing his attention on Sakura's question, he continued, "It was about ten minutes after you went back to sleep last night. You sat up all of a sudden and said something about how it was time for it to end. Your hands were glowing with this bright red light and once it disappeared, you just went back to sleep." Frowning slightly, he added, "I thought it was just my imagination that it was becoming hotter."

Dumbstruck, Sakura whispered, "I fixed it?"

Syaoran smiled softly and replied, stroking her hair, "You fixed it."

"Hoe" was all she could say for a few minutes, squinting at the light that had been absent from her life for the last seven years. Suddenly feeling completely awake, she startled Syaoran by grabbing the front of his shirt. "Wha - " he managed, before Sakura's lips came up to meet his and all thoughts of questions flew straight out of his head. He sighed into her lips and, tangling his hands in her hair, leaned forward to deepen the kiss. His pace was matched evenly by Sakura, whose arms were now latched tightly around his neck, having given up on the limited material of his shirt to hold on to.

One of Syaoran's hands released Sakura's hair and worked its way delicately down her back, which had portions of it left exposed by the unusual pattern of her nightdress. Abandoning her lips, he moved to nuzzle the crook of her neck, eliciting a deep moan from the Princess, shortly followed by a shocked gasp and the rapid stiffening of her body. Puzzled, Syaoran looked up at her and opened his mouth to ask a question, when he saw frosty silver reflected in her eyes.

"Yue," she whispered, suddenly feeling cold again.

The King's best friend stood on the parapet of Syaoran's balcony, wings extended magnificently on either side. He glared at the two teenagers stonily, for they were still wrapped in their embrace, albeit much less passionate than before. His frown intensified when they refused to let go of each other. _'Is this the change that Touya meant?'_ He made a noise that sounded suspiciously like "Hmph" before readying himself to take off again, when a female voice stopped him.

"Wait!" Sakura called, free from the boy's physical grip, but still clasped in his gaze.

Yue couldn't disobey a direct order from his Princess and he was grateful for every word that she sent in his direction. _'There's always that hope that she's one step, no matter how small, closer to forgiving me.'_ Instead of replying however, he flew to Sakura's balcony so that he was standing a few feet away from her, and bowed respectfully.

"You're going to tell Touya what you saw?" Yue glanced at the Princess's eyes and saw no fear; only determination, happiness and ... _'Love?'_

"My loyalties lie towards the King first, your Majesty." He looked at her blankly before adding, "I'm sorry."

Expecting a fit, Yue was taken aback when Sakura exploded in tiny giggles. He looked at the boy standing inches behind her and noted that he was just as confused. "Princess?" Yue asked, cautiously.

"He's going to be so mad!" Sakura squealed. "I want to be there when you tell him. I bet he'll call Syaoran a brat." Yue did not stoop so low as to remind the Princess that he had already been called that. "He'll probably call me a kaijuu, too. Though it's pretty unfair in this case," Sakura added, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. She spared nothing for the two lost males as she sighed dreamily. "And then I can stomp that mean Onii-chan until he's nothing but dust."

Syaoran started to smile at Sakura's enthusiasm when he noticed Yue's gaze become a little happier. _'He just wanted Sakura back to normal,'_ Syaoran realised. _'Everyone in this castle has been waiting for it.'_

Bowing and offering her his hand, Yue said, "Shall I take you to him now, Princess?"

Sakura shook her head. "Not yet. I'll know when you tell him." At Yue's questioning glance, she said, "He'll bring the castle down." Smothering her giggles, she continued, "Then I'll come down and talk to Onii-chan again." She smiled a little sadly and placed a tender hand on Yue's cheek. "I've been horribly unfair to you, haven't I? What happened wasn't your fault, yet I blamed you." A tear rolled down her cheek as she whispered, "I'm sorry, Yue-san."

Sakura bent her head in apology and looked up in surprise as she felt a hand mess up her hair. _'He looks so happy,'_ Sakura thought, beaming.

"Don't tell Touya what I told you, though," she added as an afterthought. Immensely pleased when he nodded, Sakura stepped back a little to allow room for him to fly away. He was hovering outside the balcony, when he looked back at her and smiled, saying, "Thank you, Princess." _'For making the kingdom ... and myself, extremely happy.'_

Sakura stared at the spot where Yue had been floating for a long time after he had gone. Jumping only slightly when Syaoran placed a hand on her shoulder, she sniffled. "I'm an idiot."

Syaoran turned her around and hugged her to him, placing his head on hers. "No, you're not." Placing a silencing finger on her lips when she was about to retort, he said, "You were a heartbroken little girl with extremely powerful magic and an unbelievable stubborn streak." He smiled as he felt her giggle. "The important thing to remember, Sakura, is that you forgave them. I doubt you hated them even when you were holding a grudge against them." His smile became a little sad as her head shook sideways beneath his. _'In that huge way, my Princess, you are the polar opposite of me.'_

Sakura pulled away from his hold and placed a chaste kiss on his soft lips. "Thank you, Syaoran."

Knocking her lightly on the head, he said flippantly, "Let's go and get out of these clothes." Smirking at her astonished expression, Syaoran said, "We don't want to face your brother in our nightclothes, do we?"

Her wonder dissolved quickly into amusement and just the slightest hint of disappointment. _'But why...?'_ Sakura huffed and marched back into her room, pausing long enough to remark over her shoulder, "And here I was, thinking you were being surprisingly forward." She smiled a little evilly. "I should have known, right?"

Grinning broadly now, she left Syaoran standing in the balcony, gaping at her retreating form.

**XXX**

Forty five minutes later, they found themselves in the throne room, facing an extremely livid young King and his calm Prime Minister, only a short while after being in an extremely compromising situation. Sakura's face was still wearing the remains of a blush and Syaoran was furiously concealing his own by trying to hide behind his frigid facade that he had discarded days ago.

Looking back at it now, Sakura and Syaoran both arrived at the consensus that it was probably Syaoran's fault, although he wouldn't have even thought of attempting anything like **that** if Sakura's passing remark hadn't ticked him off so much.

_It didn't take him long to get dressed. He had already showered earlier, but didn't want to break his lazy spell by changing into work clothes. He sat on his bed, staring at his sword that he hadn't used since he had arrived here and frowned listening to the humming coming from the shower. Her comment earlier had firmly driven itself under his skin and he didn't know what to do to get rid of it._

_The flooring was starting to give him a headache, and he had just about given up hope when an idea crawled out from the back of his head. It was evil and a little shallow no doubt, but it was adequate as payback. _'I'll make her eat her words.'_ Syaoran's aura radiated with a sudden spurt of wickedness. _

_Tucking his sheathed sword back into its place at his side, Syaoran checked the door on his side of the bathroom, only to find it locked. Determined, he went softly to Sakura's side and smothered his cry of victory when the door eased open gently. He slipped through the gap and closed the door __quickly,__ thanking God that Sakura couldn't hear over the noise of the showerhead. _

_He glanced around and discovered that there was no towel anywhere. _'Does that mean...?'_ He couldn't contemplate the possibility as his face turned a violent shade of red and he stood in place silently, clutching his now racing heart. He almost failed to hear the shower curtains move and glanced up to see Sakura wrapped in her favourite tiny towel. _

_Her eyes widened and her mouth opened to form a scream that was suppressed by Syaoran's palm, as he held her from behind in a flash. __"Mmpppf!"__ Sakura's angry yell was muffled and it only caused her rage to intensify. _

_Refusing to let her __go__, Syaoran breathed into her neck, making her shudder. "I'm sorry, Sakura." Her eyes flashed towards him. "I was trying to... I don't know what I was trying to do." Her glance softened as his face wilted. His hold on her dropped and she turned around to face him, bringing his eyes up to hers. _

_"Is this about what I said earlier?" Sakura asked, tracing the contours of his ear with her finger._

_"That might have had something to do with it," replied Syaoran, a little breathlessly._

_"You do know that I love you, despite how stubbornly shy you can be?" It was the hollow of his neck this time, and her tongue had substituted her finger._

_Syaoran couldn't bring himself to nod. In short gasps, he mumbled, "I can only hope that you know how you're making me react to what you're doing."_

_Ceasing the ministrations on his neck, she smiled up at him innocently and leaned forward, pausing millimetres away from him. "You're reacting, Syaoran? I had no idea."_

_He laid a hand on her neck just as she was about to press her lips against his. At her inquisitive and slightly pouting look, he smirked. "I have to say, though. Tiny towels really suit you." _

_Syaoran grinned as she blushed. "Pervert," Sakura whispered and smiled as Syaoran kissed her. Matching the intensity of the kiss they had been sharing earlier, Sakura trailed her hands along his torso, not pausing for a second to wonder how her hands had gotten inside his shirt in the first place. She marvelled at the strong muscles that she felt beneath her palms and silently praised his crazy training routine. _

_Syaoran moaned softly at the feel of her cool hands against his flesh and broke the kiss to nuzzle and nip at her neck, catching a fleeting glimpse of Sakura's beautiful __smile__. It turned into a gasp and a look of pure pleasure as Syaoran's hands found her breasts and squeezed the soft flesh. He felt her grab the back of his head and crush her lips to his in a heated kiss, with her tongue working __a frenzy__ inside his mouth._

_Barely registering anything except the sensations of hands against flesh, Syaoran moved his hands along the smooth surface of her stomach and grasped her hips gently before proceeding to her thighs. He had just reached the tops of her legs when he dazedly realised that, at some point, her towel had fallen in a heap to the ground, and she was standing in his arms, completely naked. _

_Syaoran stiffened and Sakura frowned as he stopped responding to her kisses. Lips slightly swollen, Sakura murmured, "Syaoran? Why are you so red?"_

_Flushing even more at that, Syaoran merely pointed to her towel, lying helplessly at their feet. While Sakura was standing still in shock, Syaoran was looking at her and was amazed, not for the first time, by her astounding beauty. Prying his eyes away from her flawless skin, he wordlessly retrieved the towel and exited to his room, after handing the flimsy cloth to her and placing a quick kiss on her forehead._

_Sakura remained numbly in the bathroom for a few minutes after that, before hurriedly getting dressed and avoided Syaoran's eyes when he escorted her downstairs. She didn't trust herself to remain normal around him after what had happened. _'I think I'm going to be red forever,'_ she thought resignedly, as they made their way downstairs._

Touya was glaring at them, and Sakura fleetingly considered the possibility of calling Tomoyo to back her up. _'But she'll be angry with me too, for not telling her.'_ Sakura sighed, drearily accepting her fate.

Yue cleared his throat and said, "Touya, say something."

It looked like enough to get the King started. "Sakura, what the hell were you thinking? He's a brat! And you – you kissed this brat?" Touya didn't want to say it, much less believe it. _'But Yue saw it... __Which means..._ He frowned and waited for his sister to respond.

"Onii-chan's funny when he's angry," Sakura replied, smiling despite herself. "All your words get mixed up and - " She broke off as he clutched her to him in the first hug they had shared in over seven years. Sakura closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around her older brother, feeling tears fall on her face as she mumbled, "I'm sorry I hurt you, Onii-chan."

He didn't want his sister to see him crying. He held her tighter and said, "Baka Sakura. What are you apologising for?"

"I made you sad. I don't like seeing you sad, Onii-chan." Her voice cracked. "I'm sorry for everything."

"Including the brat?" Touya raised his head off Sakura's shoulders and smirked slightly.

She glared at him and huffed, "No. I will never be sorry about Syaoran."

Said boy smiled gratefully, which turned into a glare to match Touya's when the elder boy turned his gaze towards Syaoran. "You better not hurt the kaijuu, brat. Or I'll have to kill you myself."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Syaoran replied, almost lazily. Touya was about to hit him when he saw the fiercely protective gleam in the boy and understood that he was being serious. _'I guess I'll just have to trust him with Sakura. Even though I don't like it one bit.'_

He was brought out of his thoughts rather painfully, as Sakura stomped his foot extremely hard. "I am **not** a kaijuu!" She declared strongly.

Touya merely smiled at her and ruffled his sister's hair playfully, drawing a reluctant smile from Sakura. She turned her attention towards Yue as he asked hesitantly, "Not that I'm not happy to have to talking to us again, but what brought about the sudden change of heart, Princess?" Touya shot a grateful glance at his friend. _'Trust him to express what I'm too afraid to consider talking about.'_

Sakura's eyes sparkled mysteriously. "It had something to do with a promise that somebody made me last night." Her gaze flitted towards Syaoran, who was looking bemused and feeling a little out of place in the happy family reunion. "Something about keeping the nightmares away." She beamed at him as his eyes flashed a warm smile, directed only at Sakura.

The Princess looked back at her brother and Yue, who were both trying to figure out what she had meant. "I have faith in the person who made that promise," she continued, bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet. "And I know that, as long as that person is around, I won't get hurt."

Touya's eyes widened and Yue's generally impassive face looked a little surprised at the open expression of love that Sakura was making towards the boy. _'Who doesn't look smug at all,'_ Touya thought in frustration. _'Damned brat.'_

Sakura walked upto her love and pulled him up to his feet. "We'll be going into town, now. Enjoy the new sunlight and all that." Smiling brightly at the two men who were torn between being happy and anxious, she waved. "We'll be back for lunch!"

"She looks extremely happy, Touya." Yue knew the King wouldn't admit it first.

"That boy has everything to do with it, doesn't he?" Touya didn't need to turn to know that Yue had nodded. He sighed, irritated. "As long as she's happy, and he keeps his hands to himself, I'll try to be supportive."

"You won't interfere with their relationship?" The Prime Minister was surprised. "You won't cause convenient interruptions when you know something is going on?"

Touya smirked evilly. "Not too often." He turned and placed a firm hand on Yue's shoulder. "You should know better than anyone, that I like things to happen sometimes atleast." He kissed Yue gently on the cheek and his smirk grew wider at the shock pasted so openly on the silver-haired man's face.

"I'll be up in my room if you need anything," Touya called over his shoulder, as he left Yue standing shell-shocked. He paused to throw a meaningful glance at his favourite Minister. "And I mean **anything**, Yue."

Yue gave his King five minutes of alone time upstairs, before coming to a decision and flying to Touya's room.

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**AN:** Yes, I'm a closet pervert and I love it. XD

Big love to all the reviewers and thank you for being so supportive about the vagueness of the fic and all my whining about exams. :)


	12. Chapter 12

**AN:** Late update (for me) and I'm sorry. Exams and general what-nots. Please point out typos and grammar mistakes if you find any, since I have a tendency to speed write without checking. -slaps self for talking too much- Read please. :)

**Disclaimer:** I only own the drama. XD

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The townsfolk had apparently gotten over their shock at seeing the sun in their country, if the bustling activity in the marketplace was any indicator. There were vendors yelling themselves hoarse, trying to persuade the milling people into buying their wares, but their cries fell on deaf ears as the market regained its status as being the social hub of the town.

Previously, it had been too cold for the people to simply stand around aimlessly, despite their protective coverings. They all wanted to go back to the warm comforts of their homes and restricted their social activities to visiting one another on the country's better days. Now that the sun was back, women were gossiping in front of a vegetable seller and children were trying to hide from their guardians under a peddler's rack of goods; marriages were arranged and scandals were exchanged. For the first time in seven years, Kinomoto country was like any other place in the world, and its residents were not about to let an opportunity just slip past them.

Sakura stood at the entrance to the marketplace, letting the joyous emotions of the people of her country wash over her. Beaming brightly, she turned to Syaoran. "Isn't this amazing? Everyone's back to normal."

"You haven't seen people behave like this in ages, have you?" He was bemused, to say the least. _'That's probably because I've seen this happen too often to really care,'_ Syaoran thought, allowing a small smile.

Shaking her head, the Princess sighed happily. "I don't think I should go in there, though." A sad smile settled over her features. At Syaoran's questioning glance, she said, "They've been blaming me for so long. I know they've treated me well when I've come here before, but I doubt they're going to be so quick to forgive."

"You're their beloved princess," he said reassuringly. "They aren't fools to expect that someone else made the kingdom normal." He smiled at her confused look. "Sakura, they'll probably just be happy that the cold spell's past. If they don't," Syaoran added, nonchalantly lifting his sword a little higher in its hilt, "I'm not your protector for nothing."

Sakura smiled at him gratefully and inhaled sharply. Before she could come to a decision, a few townspeople spotted her and started whispering to one another. In almost no time, the chatter had died down and a man who Sakura recognised as the headman of one of the more successful villages stepped forward.

"Your Highness," he said respectfully, bowing deeply. Raising his head, he smiled at her and she noticed a delighted sparkle in his eye. "Thank you for introducing my grandson to sunlight." Catching her puzzled look, he added, "He was born this morning, your Majesty."

Syaoran bit the inside of his cheek to hide his smile and knew that Sakura was in tears, even though he couldn't see her face. _'She's so stupidly sensitive sometimes,'_ he thought affectionately.

Sakura couldn't stop her tears as the rest of the people in the market thanked her as well, some in soft mumbles and the others in deafening cheers. She swallowed a sob and smiled beatifically at the loyal townspeople and wondered what she had done to deserve so much unconditional support. She nearly choked, however, when she saw a rather familiar vendor approach her, carrying a basket laden with fruits.

The grizzly old man with a dirty scarf tied around his neck paused a few feet away from Sakura and bowed. He offered her the basket and said humbly, "A token of our appreciation, your Highness." Shooting an ill-concealed glare at Syaoran, he added stiffly, "Please tell the kind sir behind you that they are not 'bombs' this time, either."

Sakura stifled her laughter as she thanked the man for his fruits and saw Syaoran shoot a dirty look at the retreating man's back. "Behave, Syaoran," she whispered admonishingly. She received a disgruntled glare in reply.

Eventually, the activity in the market picked up again and Sakura and Syaoran walked from one seller to another, while the Princess occasionally stopped to pick something up for herself or somebody back at the castle. Syaoran grinned every time they paused to buy something as the vendors acted as though they would rather kill themselves than take money from something the Princess of Kinomoto country purchases. Sakura would always stutter and blush and end up forcing Syaoran to pay for her, after she had hidden herself away.

While they were whiling away their time, Syaoran thought he faintly detected an aura that he hadn't felt in a long time but shook the thought aside. _'It's impossible,'_ he declared firmly, before continuing to follow Sakura, not once complaining about the dull ache in his legs that had come out of walking around for so long.

He felt Tomoyo's presence a millisecond before the raven-haired girl came rushing at them and nearly pushed Sakura down with the force of her hug. "You did it!" Tomoyo squealed, pure glee radiating from her body.

"What did I do?" Sakura asked, smiling a little nervously. _'She can't know, can she? Not even Tomoyo can be that perceptive.'_ Praying that she was right, Sakura stared at her best friend expectantly.

"The sun, Sakura! It's back!" Grinning broadly, she pulled the Princess into another bear hug, giving Syaoran a conspiratorial wink behind Sakura's back. _'She's too perceptive for her own damned good,' _Syaoran thought in frustration, turning his head away from them to hide his furious blush.

Tomoyo giggled and whispered to Sakura, a twinkle of mischief in her eye, "I hope the two of you kept it down. I wouldn't want Touya and Yue hearing what I heard last night." She burst out laughing at the outrage on Syaoran's face and the complete embarrassment that Sakura was feeling.

"We were not loud!" Sakura sputtered finally. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "That was you I felt outside my room in the middle of the night, wasn't it?"

Shrugging casually, Tomoyo replied, "I thought I'd check up on you since you seemed so tired at dinner. When I heard voices and _sounds_," she emphasised with a wiggle of her eyebrows. "I realised I should stay in my room at night."

"Damn straight," Syaoran muttered. _'Sakura can feel presences already?' _Bewildered, he cast a fleeting look at the Princess, which did not go unnoticed by Tomoyo.

"Can't keep our eyes off her, can we Syaoran-kun?" Tomoyo hadn't had this kind of fun in a very long time.

Syaoran glared at her in response and was thrown completely off-guard by what Sakura mumbled under her breath. His eyes widened and he prayed that Tomoyo hadn't heard and Sakura wouldn't repeat. It just wasn't his day.

"What was that, Sakura?" Tomoyo asked curiously.

"I said," Sakura repeated softly. "Touya and Yue know. Yue caught a private show this morning." Not even trying to conceal her blush, she glanced up at Tomoyo, who seemed to be going red in the face from trying not to laugh.

"Oh, poor Sakura," Tomoyo said, peals of laughter escaping from her as Syaoran shot daggers at her. "Well, who asked you to choose the balcony, of all the places in the castle?"

"How do you know where we were?" Syaoran asked slowly.

Tomoyo rolled her eyes. "The King told me right before I left. Although," she added, raising a thoughtful eyebrow. "He and Yue-san did seem very flustered when I walked in to the living room. I wonder why."

Sakura and Syaoran exchanged disbelieving glances, mostly because they knew Tomoyo wasn't wondering at all. _'She probably knows all there is to know about what's going on inside the castle.'_ Sakura sighed and looked around the market, lacking anything constructive to do, especially after Tomoyo had taken to teasing Syaoran. _'That is not a conversation I want to participate in.'_

Shuddering, she caught the eye of a man standing ten to fifteen feet away from them. _'I've seen that face before.'_ Sakura frowned, trying to assign a name to the face when the stranger's face broke into an eerie smile that made the fine hairs at the back of her neck stand on edge. _'How can I forget a look like that? Think, Sakura, where have you seen him?'_

Without breaking eye contact, Sakura asked the other two distractedly, "Do you guys know who that man is? Standing in front of the peddler selling trinkets." She pointed discreetly but immediately dropped the finger when the man's smile became wider. _'Just what is he so happy about?'_

"Who are you talking about, Sakura?" Puzzled, Syaoran stared in the direction she indicated. He could only see women and children. "There's no man standing there."

"He's right, Sakura." Tomoyo glanced anxiously at the Princess. "All I can see are women and children."

Confused, Sakura closed her eyes for a minute and re-opened them, trying to ensure that she wasn't seeing things. The man stood motionless, save for the fact that his smirk seemed to be getting broader by the second. "I'm not dreaming, am I?" Sakura mumbled, gasping aloud when her knees hit the ground.

"Sakura!" Tomoyo exclaimed, rushing to her side. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Tomoyo," she muttered, not realising that she was talking too softly for her best friend to hear.

Syaoran knelt down beside her and whispered, concern lacing every word, "We haven't eaten and it's almost time for lunch. Do you want to go back to the castle?"

Sakura looked up at him and saw worry stamped across his face. She clutched at his shirt and breathed, "Syaoran, I'm scared. I don't know if I'm seeing things or if I'm dreaming, but I don't like the look on that man's face." Her eyes widened in horror as she saw a figure loom behind her Syaoran. "He's right behind you, can't you see?"

Cautiously, he turned around only to be met by blinding sunlight and the stares of the people at the market, who were wondering what had happened to their beloved Princess. Turning back to face Sakura, he said firmly, "We are going back to the castle, first. Then you are getting yourself something to eat." Seeing that she was about to protest, he held up a silencing finger. "And then, we are going to train again." Lowering his voice to barely above a whisper, he continued, "We'll train with attack magic too, but before that, I'm going to show you how to read who's controlling your dreams and why."

Tomoyo stared at him grim appearance and realised how concerned he was about Sakura. She threw a glance over her shoulder and winced in pain as she felt something sharp scratch her arm. Sakura looked at her in concern as she saw the thin red line that had appeared, almost out of thin air.

Syaoran's face, if possible, became grimmer. "We're going back now." Strongly emphasising the last word, he picked Sakura up and carried her all the way back to the castle, ignoring the looks they were getting from the villagers, with Tomoyo evenly matching his stride.

The last glimpse Sakura caught as they exited the market was of a hand grasping a doctor's bag, with three sharp knives sticking out from the top. It took all the effort she had to keep herself conscious.

**XXX**

Syaoran stared purposefully at the King and Yue, wordlessly demanding explanations. Sakura was seated on the futon, with Tomoyo beside her, and the Princess briefly wondered if she was becoming a horrible person for wishing that it was Syaoran clutching her hand like his life depended on it. _'Stop being an idiot,'_ she chided herself mentally. _'He's doing this for you.'_ She sighed and glanced over at the boy in question, who seemed like he couldn't care less that he was the only person standing in the entire room.

"I will not repeat myself, boy," Touya said irritably. "Sit down."

"I'm fine like this, thanks." Syaoran glared at the tall man as he stood up as well.

Yue looked amused as he remained seated. "Touya," he called casually. "Are you trying to make Li-san feel less out of place?" He chuckled slightly at the furious look the King directed at him.

"Why do you want to know about Sakura's magic?" Touya inquired, frowning. _'It's happening so soon?'_

"Random curiosity, your Majesty." Syaoran's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Don't fool around with me, brat." He didn't know why Syaoran annoyed him so much. He hadn't even interacted with the boy that much, to begin with. _'Sakura kissing him is what irritates me.'_ His mood turned sour at the thought. "If it's about the kaijuu, I have a right to know."

"Onii-chan, stop calling me that," Sakura grumbled half-heartedly from her seat. She was too worn out to bother retaliating with the same energy that she normally would have displayed. The realisation that had struck her as they left the market did nothing to soothe her frayed nerves. _'That man killed Syaoran in my dream. I thought it was just paranoia but the fact that I saw him outside...'_

Syaoran mulled over the idea of telling Touya what was going on. He didn't think Sakura would want everyone to worry about her, so he settled for half-truths. "Something happened today," he allowed finally.

Touya quirked an eyebrow. "If this has anything to do with some weird thing you want to try on Sakura the next time you two are alone, I swear on my honour, brat, I will murder you."

"How did this baka become the King?" Syaoran muttered under his breath, only slightly grateful that Touya didn't hear. "She saw a person at the market that Tomoyo and I couldn't see," Syaoran said, annoyed that he had to ask Touya for help. "She hasn't been sleeping all that well, either, so I figured it had something to do with her dreams."

Frowning deeply, Touya asked, "How do you know she hasn't been sleeping well?"

Sakura groaned aloud and Tomoyo quickly suppressed her giggles. Yue didn't bother as he barked out a laugh. _'Of all the things he chooses to pay attention to.'_ He glanced at his friend – were they still friends after what had happened? – affectionately. _'Some things don't change, no matter how much time goes by.'_

"I heard her," Syaoran said, emphasising each word slowly. Looking at the king as though he was slow, Syaoran added dryly, "You do remember that we have adjoining rooms? Your Majesty," he put in hastily.

Touya seemed reluctant to believe his explanation, but he could sense Sakura boring holes into his back so he decided to drop it. "What do you want to know?"

"About her magic and her dreams," Syaoran answered simply.

The King sighed. This was going to take a while and he had too much pride to sit back down. Glaring once more at the brat for good measure, he began, "Sakura's always been powerful, but there hasn't been any need for the magic to surface, so it's always remained latent. The only two times she's used magic were unconscious." Vaguely motioning to the kingdom, he continued, "The two drastic weather changes. And there was another short spurt of unconscious magical release, but neither I nor Yue know why or when that happened."

Syaoran knew, and Sakura's blush indicated that she knew as well. Tomoyo looked from one to the other and made a mental note to ask one of them about it later.

"How do you know when Sakura uses her magic?" Syaoran interrupted. "I thought you gave up your powers a long time ago." He wisely decided against mentioning that he knew exactly what had happened.

"I have Yue," Touya replied blandly, not realising the implication behind his words. The Minister seemed oblivious to the girls' sudden desire to laugh and the boy's impulsive need to gag. Syaoran stiffly motioned for Touya to continue.

"A couple of days ago, there was an earthquake that we think might have been caused by Sakura trying to control her magic, but I'm assuming it wasn't an earthquake?" Touya regarded Syaoran calmly, silently seeking a truthful explanation.

"I didn't realise that Sakura was that powerful," Syaoran said sheepishly. "The room started to shake initially, but it stopped once she had taken control of her magical powers."

Touya didn't look too satisfied, but he continued, "The reason we never asked Sakura to train with her magic at first was because she was too young. Later, we realised that her magic was too powerful to be left unchecked but it was directly linked to her emotions. Our father was under the assumption that asking her to control her magic would be like forcing her to suppress her feelings." He smiled sadly. "We couldn't make her do that, so we let it be."

Sakura forced away the pinpricks of guilt that she was starting to feel. _'I put them through a lot,'_ she thought dismally. She smiled slightly as she felt Tomoyo pat her hand reassuringly and heard her whisper, "Don't think for a second that we didn't love you, even when you were being the ice princess."

Syaoran nodded at Touya, having already witnessed the link between Sakura's powers and her feelings. _'That's why she's so powerful,'_ he realised. _'Sakura's feelings are her strongest point. It's no wonder then, that her magic is just as strong.'_ He stared at the King steadily. "What about her dreams?"

Touya glanced at Yue, eyes pleading for the Minister to take over explaining Sakura's history. Yue nodded imperceptibly, and in a flash, Touya found himself seated again while Syaoran found himself staring up at cold, grey eyes that occasionally flashed in amusement. _'I don't want to know what he thinks is funny about all this,'_ Syaoran thought, feeling very drained.

"Although there is no evidence to show it," Yue said softly. "I have reasons to believe that the Princess's dreams are prophetic." Syaoran had been expecting that and merely nodded in response. "There have been small instances in the past, where the Princess has predicted small changes in the weather and disputes among headmen of different villages, that were definitely useful but were invariably chalked up to luck."

"This person you saw," Yue went on, addressing Sakura. "Has he ever appeared in your dreams?"

Sakura nodded, looking frightened. Syaoran desperately wanted to go upto her, hug her and comfort her but he stayed firmly in place, knowing that this information was vital. Yue did not look very pleased at Sakura's affirmative nod. "The chances of your current dreams being prophetic, then, are very high."

Syaoran cleared his throat, trying to get rid of a sudden block. "H-How accurate are these dreams?"

Yue's eyes narrowed. _'I can't lie to them about this.'_ Keeping his frustration in check, he replied blankly, "The events in the dream occur almost exactly the same way in reality. But only if," he added, seeing the Princess's distressed look, "nothing is done to change the outcome."

Distraught and confused, Sakura asked, "What does that mean?"

"Princess, the future shown to you in your dreams is not set in stone," Yue said gently. "You cannot change the occurrence that is base to the event that takes place in the dream. But you can certainly modify the outcome."

"So," Sakura sobbed, tears flowing freely where there had been none seconds ago. "I can't do anything to stop him from coming here, but, if I work hard enough, I can stop Syaoran from getting killed?"

Tomoyo gasped in shock and stared at Sakura sympathetically. _'She's been carrying that around for a while now...'_ She wiped the tears from Sakura's face and tried not to cry along with her best friend, as she felt the dampness on the front of her dress.

Yue glanced at Syaoran to gauge his reaction and was startled to see the boy look completely lifeless. _'Has he given up hope before even knowing the contents of the dream?'_ He frowned slightly in disapproval and looked at Touya to see a similar look of resignation plastered on the King's face.

Syaoran had known that the dreams were about him, from the moment Sakura whimpered in her sleep. _'If she's this upset, it can only mean one thing.'_ Not letting himself think of what the future held, Syaoran went up to Sakura and gently pried her away from Tomoyo, whose face was tear-streaked as well. The Princess's sobs increased as Syaoran wrapped his arms around her, whispering empty, soothing words into her ear.

After what seemed like an eternity, her body stopped heaving and Syaoran looked down to see that she had cried herself to sleep._ 'Probably exhausted from everything that's happened today.'_ Not wanting to see Tomoyo's pitying looks or Yue's curious ones, he picked her up once again and carried her upstairs, drawing the comfort he needed from the proximity of her body and her trademark scent, not turning back to face the occupants of the living room even once.

Touya stared at the retreating figure and said, almost incoherently, "It's starting too soon, Yue."

"It cannot be helped," Yue replied bitterly. "I only hope they prepare themselves well."

"Prepare themselves for what?" Tomoyo asked anxiously, startling the two males who had forgotten about her presence in the room.

"They have to be prepared," Yue relented finally. "For what's coming to them this winter."

Frowning, Tomoyo said, "Winter's less than four months away. That's hardly enough time for them to -"

"It will have to do, Daidouji-san," Yue snapped. His gaze softened a bit as he continued, "It has to be enough."

Tomoyo looked at the King, hoping he would be more optimistic, but his appearance was more haggard than Yue's. "He's right, Daidouji," Touya muttered, after catching her eye. "We can't buy them more time. And nobody here is powerful enough to stop it from happening."

Feeling the hope drain out of her as she saw the King and the Minister act like all was lost before it had even begun, Tomoyo whispered brokenly, "Are Sakura and Syaoran-kun going to die?"

Neither male wanted to be the one to answer her. Finally, Yue replied, "We can only hope that they don't." He glanced at the King worriedly as the young girl burst into tears and saw that the only thing stopping Touya from joining Tomoyo was his pride.

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**AN:** You should know by now that I love the dramatic chapter endings. :p

Much love to all the reviewers and favourite-ers and alert-ers. -hugs-


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: **It's just a little more descriptive than the other chapters. :) Read away.

**Disclaimer:** I give up.

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Although the sun was still shining bright, there was a howling wind outside the room that the two teenagers sat in quietly and Syaoran could feel short, cold blasts of air as the wind sneaked into the Princess's room through the gaps in the French windows. One glance at Sakura told him that she was too worn out to even attempt to bring the fluctuating weather under control. _'That is, if she wants to,'_ Syaoran thought sadly.

She had woken up from her short slumber when Syaoran had placed her on the bed and her frozen expression had been worrying him from the instant it appeared on her face. Dull, lifeless eyes gazed blankly at a spot on the wall and only the steady rise and fall of her chest told the young boy that she wasn't dead. Sitting with his back against the balcony doors, Syaoran stared hopefully at Sakura. _'Why can't you talk to me about the dreams, Sakura?'_ He sighed as the loud noises outside continued and there wasn't even a twitch from the prone figure lying on the bed.

There were no thoughts in the Princess's mind – only images that flashed, unbidden and pushed her deeper into the dark hole that she had dug for herself since she returned from the market earlier that day. All she could see was blood. Syaoran was lying in it, covered in it, after being viciously mutilated by the man she couldn't identify. If she managed to take her eyes off the corpse of the man she loved, she would see rivulets of blood running down both her arms from deep cuts – cuts that had been caused because of the knives embedded in her upper arms to keep her from dashing to Syaoran's side to help. She didn't want to look down. It had been a while since she could see the tips of her feet. She spotted two lumps of flesh a little ways from her and found them to be nauseatingly familiar.

Superimposed on these images was the one thing she wanted to see less than Syaoran dead – the smile that froze her blood in her veins. _'Does he take that much pleasure in torturing people to death?'_ Sakura mused dazedly. _'What makes him smile so?'_

A warm hand on her face distracted her from her thoughts only momentarily. She knew it would be impossible for her Syaoran to be sitting next to her, gazing at her so concernedly when a few minutes ago, she had seen him dead. Even the gentle "Sakura" that she heard didn't convince her. _'I couldn't do anything to save him,'_ Sakura thought, a soft sob escaping her throat. _'It all happened so fast, and I still can't control my magic. If only I had taken the time to learn, then maybe he'd still be alive.'_

Syaoran felt the beginnings of deep-seated fear as the tiny sobs turned into deep whimpers, and then into chest-heaving cries as Sakura got up slightly and rocked back and forth, moaning, "I couldn't save my Syaoran." Her face was damp already and her nose was starting to turn red. "It's all my fault that he's gone. All because stupid Sakura couldn't learn to overpower her own magic. My poor, poor Syaoran." She seemed to be reaching for something in front of her when her hand brushed against the real Syaoran, who was now clutching her arms tightly, not wanting to painfully force her out of her dream-induced state.

Sakura stared disbelievingly at the young man who looked as though he was about to cry. "Syaoran?" Timidly, she reached out to touch his cheek. "You're really here?" Relief coursed through her as she felt him nod slowly against her palm and the last remnants of her tears dried up in her eyes.

Syaoran brought a hand to grasp Sakura's and looked at her anxiously. "Please, Sakura," he whispered brokenly. "Let me help you." _'Tell me what you were seeing,'_ he added silently.

Fiery determination suddenly blazed in her eyes and startled Syaoran. Grimly setting her jaw in a straight line, she said, "You said we could train with attack magic?" At Syaoran's hesitant nod, she continued, "Can we do that today?"

"No," Syaoran stated flatly.

The resolve that had appeared so quickly on Sakura's features crumbled almost instantaneously. "Why not?"

Gently moving her on the surface of the bed, he set her back down before adjusting his position so that he was lying right beside her. "You're such an idiot sometimes, do you know that?" Syaoran said affectionately, softly stroking the length of her face. "You're exhausted, Sakura. After you rest and eat, we'll train." He smiled as she pouted and added, "I promise, my princess. Now rest." He kissed her brow and held her close to him, soothingly rubbing her back until her breathing evened out again and he knew she was asleep.

Syaoran looked down at her sleeping features a little sadly. He brushed his fingers along her eyes and the tip of her nose, thinking dejectedly, _'Why won't you let me help you with the dreams that are haunting you, Sakura?'_ His fingers were pressed lightly against her lips. _'Why won't you let me in?'_

He found himself standing in the main hall of the castle, without Sakura by his side. Syaoran panicked for a second, before realising that he had been brought into Sakura's dream. _'But how...?'_ Baffled, he glanced around at an empty room before noticing dull red splotches on the walls, and what seemed like two very hazy figures lying a short distance away from the marks. _'What's going on?'_

While slowly treading his way to the unclear figures, Syaoran stepped on something that broke crunchily. Frowning, he looked down and nearly gagged in utter shock and revulsion. Sticking out from under his left foot was what looked like a tiny index finger. _'A girl's finger...'_ he realised, a sickening feeling entering his stomach.

Abandoning all caution, Syaoran all but ran forward and stopped short at the sight before him. He saw the dream that had been plaguing the Princess play out right before him. He could not see the face of the man who killed him in the dream, but he felt a vague sense of recollection at the sight of the doctor's bag that the man held in his hands.

Syaoran knew that the dream had something to do with his death, so he was prepared – albeit inadequately – to see himself get mutilated beyond recognition and then brutally killed in the dream. Nothing could have readied him for what was to happen to the other person in the room. Syaoran could do nothing but reel in shock as knives rapidly flew to Sakura, pinning her arms to the wall and simultaneously detaching her feet. He nearly retched at Sakura's hands – delicately petite, just a few minutes ago, but in the dream, horribly disfigured, with three digits missing on each hand. _'Six fingers?'_ Syaoran thought nauseated. _'Where are the rest? __And...__are__ those her feet?'_

A sharp cry from the far corner of the hall tore his attention away from Sakura's grossly maimed body. Syaoran was extremely puzzled to see a perfectly normal Sakura standing close to the draperies, clutching at her heart, face contorting in pain. _'We're both in her dream.'_ Ignoring the sights that were permanently imprinted in his mind, he rushed over to his Sakura and hugged her tightly, shielding the blood-streaked room from her view.

"Sakura," he whispered urgently. "Please concentrate." Her watery eyes looked up at him helplessly and he felt his heart break. "Please. Get us out of here."

"I don't know how, Syaoran," she whispered back, trying not to burst into tears again. She knew that the Syaoran protecting her was real and that the Syaoran lying dead on the floor was part of the recurring dream. _'But it doesn't make anything easier.'_

Syaoran pulled away from her just enough to look her in the eye. "Can you picture your room, with us on your bed?" He exhaled sharply as she nodded. "That's all you have to do. Picture it and concentrate on getting us back there." He knew he was being gruff, but he didn't want her to stay in a place that caused her pain for such a long time. _'And I don't want to see her with improper limbs,'_ he thought bitterly.

Feeling something soft beneath her, Sakura opened her eyes to see that they were back in the comforts of her own room. Green met brown as she felt all her confident barriers crumble into dust and Syaoran's arms went around her, cradling her while she sobbed into his shirt.

Without warning, he felt her lips crash against his, tears slipping into the tiny gaps as her tongue entered his mouth, seeking comfort from the only person she could trust to give it to her. It was bittersweet yet passionate and Syaoran was more than willing to give her the support she needed, while taking what he could from her, feeling more secure just by inhaling her scent and holding her close.

Almost violently, Sakura pushed the collar of his shirt away and raked her fingernails along his neck. Hastily undoing the buttons she considered a nuisance, the Princess moaned softly as Syaoran lavished attention on her neck and earlobes, nuzzling and licking, kissing and biting all the right places. Each time drew a cry of different intensity as Sakura threw the offending piece of clothing that stood between her and Syaoran's bare chest into the far corner of the room.

Syaoran slipped her slight summer dress off her shoulders and down to her waist. He breathed deeply into her neck, making her shudder before taking one of her breasts into his mouth, caressing it with his tongue while gently fondling the other. Sakura gasped sharply and Syaoran felt feather-light movements across his torso and back, as she danced to a fairy's tune on his body, causing him to intensify his actions on her.

Unable to take it any longer, Sakura reached for Syaoran and dragged him back towards her for yet another soul-searing kiss, just as he was starting to place loving kisses on her stomach. Their tongues clashed furiously as Syaoran entangled his hands in her soft hair and Sakura's wandering hands brushed against something hard pressed up against the inside of her thigh. Curious, she repeated the motion once, twice before a firm grasp stilled her.

Syaoran pulled away from Sakura and asked hoarsely, eyes still clouded over, "What are you doing?"

"Exploring," she replied cheekily, sticking her tongue out at him.

He clamped his lips over her tongue for one last kiss, before breaking away and smirking. At Sakura's pout, the smirk only grew deeper. "Why'd you stop, Syaoran?" A moan slipped as she placed a daring hand over him, squeezing lightly. He would have suspected that she had gone out of her mind, had it not been for the furious blush stamped across her face.

Syaoran took her mischievous hands in his and mumbled dazedly, "No."

"You're saying that too often, Syaoran," Sakura said, only partially cheerful.

Sensing the sadness that lay hidden beneath her playful words, Syaoran brought her closer to him, tenderly kissing the top of her head. "Not yet, Sakura."

Sakura shot him a confused look. "Why?"

Syaoran sighed, a small part of him wondering the exact same thing. But the larger part knew, that at that moment, it wasn't the right thing to do. _'I'd be taking advantage of her.'_ Sighing again, he looked at her soulful green eyes and said softly, "Sakura, you're distraught now." He was prepared for her disbelieving reaction. He continued, unperturbed, "You know that I want this, too. But, I want it to be special for you, Sakura." She nearly cried at the love that shone through all the other emotions spiralling in Syaoran's eyes. "I don't want our first to be because of a dream."

Managing to keep her tears at bay by biting her lips, Sakura barely nodded as she locked her arms around Syaoran in a death grip and mumbled, almost incomprehensibly, "Thank you, Syaoran."

"Are you never going to stop being a baka?" Came the joking reply.

Sakura smiled through the emotional turmoil and felt her eyelids droop. Gathering the last bits of her energy, she said sleepily, "I love you." She knew she wouldn't dream again today, not as long as Syaoran was right there beside her. _'I'll have to talk to him about that later,' _was her last thought before she drifted off into what was to be a dreamless nap.

Syaoran gently kissed the sleeping girl's brow, hoping she wouldn't see her nightmare this time. Smiling in amusement at the realisation that Sakura hadn't bothered to right her dress, he said, "I love you, too, sleepyhead."

He pulled the covers over them and threw a fleeting glance at his discarded shirt before turning back to his princess and enfolding her deeply in his arms. Ensuring that she seemed comfortable and that they were both adequately covered, Syaoran snuggled closer to Sakura and slowly fell asleep as well, cherishing the fact that his Sakura was nothing like the Sakura in the dream.

He staunchly ignored the possibility that the dream Sakura could end up being his Sakura if he didn't do something about it. _'Or die before she does,'_ he thought grimly.

**XXX**

Touya and Yue were positioned similarly in the King's room when Yue frowned suddenly. "Touya, aren't you going to do something?"

"About what?" Touya drawled, lazily tracing patterns on the Minister's shoulder.

Quirking an eyebrow, Yue replied, "Your sister and the boy." He smirked as Touya's cheery demeanour dropped. "You can't pretend you don't feel it."

"The two forms of magic intertwining, you mean?" At Yue's short nod, Touya scoffed. "I may have given up most of my powers, but even an idiot could feel the amount of energy those two are giving off. It even attracted Daidouji the other day."

"But, this means that they're getting stronger." A blank look passed over Yue's face as he added, "Unless they have no idea what they're doing."

"I don't think they're doing it intentionally," Touya mused. "They probably won't realise until..."

"...they start practicing magic," Yue completed. He smiled slightly at the thought, grey eyes flashing. "It should be fun to watch what happens next."

"It doesn't exactly leave much time for us, does it?" Touya said, only partially complaining.

Yue leaned over and said, breathing against the King's lips, "Why are you wasting time talking, then?"

"You started this conversation, Yue," Touya replied, capturing Yue's lips with his own. They were just starting to get back into the swing of things, when a series of three knocks on the door forcefully broke them apart.

Both simultaneously shot sharp glares at the intruder, as Touya barked, "What is it?"

"Your Highness, lunch will be served in half an hour."

"Daidouji?" An affirmative noise sounded from outside. "Since when do we eat lunch together downstairs?"

Yue could feel the deathly vibes coming from the young girl, despite the barrier of a door and shuddered involuntarily. Her voice floated through, "Since Sakura forgave the two of you and more so, since she broke down earlier this morning."

Touya grumbled incoherently as Yue cleared his throat and called out, "We will be there, Daidouji-san."

"I suggest you follow Sakura and Syaoran-kun and get some rest." Touya could have sworn she sounded like she was upto something. "Today's been extremely exhausting, don't you agree?"

Yue waited until he knew that Tomoyo was no longer outside the door, to remark casually, "That girl is extremely well-informed."

He chuckled as a dark look crossed Touya's face. "Too much for her own good, sometimes." There was a deep pause as something finally clicked in the mind of the King, usually very fast on the uptake. "Wait, what did she mean like Sakura and that brat?" Glancing wildly at Yue, he demanded, "They're sleeping together?"

"You're amazing, Touya," Yue said, avoiding the question. "You pretend as though it's fine that they're in a relationship, but you have a problem if they share the same bed."

Touya had no reply to that and glared steadfastly in another direction as Yue placed a laughing kiss on his cheek, before getting up to get dressed again. Shifting his glare to the direction of his sister's room, he mumbled, "That brat had better be keeping his hands somewhere safe."

Picking up his clothes that had been scattered all across the room, Yue thought in amusement, _'If only he knew.'_

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**AN:** Touya and Yue hardly get any fic time unless they're dropping by to pass some cryptic remarks. XD

Big love and lots of hugs to the reviewers who patiently type out their opinion on each chapter. :) You all are like my motivation to stop being lazy sometimes!


	14. Chapter 14

**AN:** Once again, I'm so so sorry for the late update. I've had a really hectic week which I find extremely funny for God-knows-what reason. I'm also getting stuck with this fic, since I don't know how to proceed, even though I know where the plot is supposed to go. -dies- Oh, well to make up for the lateness of it all, here's an unexpected chapter. :) Hope you like!

**ETA:**I'm sorry for the re-upload. I found stupid formatting errors and I conveniently forgot about the "Replace content" option. DX

**Disclaimer:** It feels like a million years since I said that I don't own CCS.

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The next week passed by in a flurry of exhausting training sessions, during which the inhabitants of the castle had to constantly be prepared for the possibility of earthquakes and after which, the people most closely associated with the two who caused the daily commotion had to drag the limp bodies back into their respective beds. 

Syaoran was decidedly impressed with the speed at which Sakura was picking up attack, as well as defence techniques that had taken him months to master. But he was also more than a little troubled at the toll it was taking on her health. Since starting the training, she had been sleeping erratically, waking up in the middle of the night only to go back to sleep until late in the morning, and she hadn't been eating as well either. Syaoran understood her desire to get stronger. _'But at the rate at which she's pushing herself, she's going to wear herself out before she can throw her firepower at the enemy.'_

Leaning against the doorframe that connected their rooms, Syaoran gazed at the Princess in concern, silently watching as she searched for something in her closet. Sakura grunted in frustration as she turned around to face him, exclaiming in annoyance, "I can't find it anywhere!"

"I can help if you tell me what you're looking for," Syaoran offered patiently, for what must have been the fiftieth time.

Sakura shook her head stubbornly. "No," she said determinedly. "It has to be around here somewhere." A sudden thought seemed to strike her as she added brightly, "Do you think you could find Tomoyo? She might know where it is!"

Suspicion laced his tone as he asked, "Hasn't Tomoyo been disappearing randomly for a while now? How would she know -"

"Doesn't matter, please find her Syaoran!" Sakura piped, more cheerily than was normal, pushing Syaoran out of the door. His surprised condition was the only thing that kept him moving. By the time he had gathered his wits and stopped Sakura's shoving, he was out in the hallway.

_'What the hell is going on with her?'_ Syaoran dashed to his door, but it only rattled in its frame – Sakura had already locked it shut. Sighing in defeat, he made his way to find Tomoyo. _'Maybe she really did want her to help.'_ Not believing his thoughts for a second, he proceeded downstairs, trying to detect Tomoyo by her aura and failing miserably.

His mind began to wander as his feet carried him absently around the castle. A small smile graced his features as he stopped in front of a small tree. _'When did I get out here?'_ Casting a fond glance at the plant, he summoned tiny droplets of water and cast them on the leaves, smiling broader as the leaves broadened right before his eyes. _'It's still here,'_ he thought, amazed. Only three days had passed.

_Sakura and Syaoran had decided to take their training outside, since their constant struggles against magical power was beginning to affect people they didn't want involved. They found a small stump of what must have been a glorious tree at one point of time, which had probably died because of the long spell of cold in the country. Syaoran had thought that the stump would make a good marker for them to come back later to practice in the same spot and Sakura had agreed, having noticed Tomoyo's unease at dinner the previous day, after being exposed to more magical energy than was normal._

_Neither of them had taken into consideration the sheer extent of Sakura's powers, much less the strength of both their powers together._

_Syaoran was showing Sakura how to put up a shield of sorts, to prevent people from manipulating the contents of her dreams. However, before she could protect herself when she was asleep, according to Syaoran, she had to be able to protect herself when she was wide awake. _

_Which is how Syaoran and Sakura found themselves with translucent shields around them, Syaoran's steady and sized adequately, while Sakura's was wavering indecisively between being humongous and average. She had just brought her shield to a steady halt at slightly bigger than average, when the stump sprouted to life, growing tiny branches and leaves, where there had been nothing but withered bark merely seconds ago. _

_The shock was enough to send Sakura spiralling backwards, shattering her concentration, and her shield. The resulting blast of residual energy gave the plant an additional growth spurt and sent the Princess shrieking into Syaoran's arms. _

_"What's going on?" Sakura asked nervously._

_Instead of answering, Syaoran cautiously sprinkled the plant with some water from the container that they had brought with them from the castle, and chuckled softly under his breath as the plant grew just a little more._

_"What are you so afraid of?" Syaoran asked gently. "This is what your magic can do," he said, gesturing towards the delicate plant, swaying in tune to the breeze._

_Sakura still looked a little apprehensive, so Syaoran took them away somewhere else to train. But he had caught her looking at the sapling in slight awe and he still felt traces of sadness from the confession of her fears later that same night._

_"What if," Sakura whispered brokenly, as they lay together in their usual spot on her __bed.__ "I start to kill life forms instead of giving them life?" Syaoran looked at her in confusion. _'We weren't talking about magic,'_ he thought, frowning._

_"You saw my dreams," she went on, distressed now. "What if I'm the one who does that to you? What if I can't control my magic and I kill everything around me? What if I -"_

_Not for the first time, Sakura stopped as she felt his finger press against her lips. Gently brushing her hair with his other hand, Syaoran said, "You can 'What if' your way into the next century, Sakura and it isn't going to change a thing." She frowned and started to say something, when the pressure on her lips became more forceful. He continued, a tender look coming into his eyes, "Nothing will change the fact that you aren't the kind of person who would ever think about using their powers for destruction. Even after everything you've seen in your dreams, I don't think you want to kill the person who might end up causing all that bloodshed."_

_Her frown relaxed as she shook her head, a little sad. _'I only want to cause him lots and lots of pain,'_ Sakura thought dejectedly. _'I don't want to kill that ghastly man.'_ Her eyes grew sadder at the thought._

_As though reading her mind, Syaoran knocked her head lightly and chided, "It isn't a bad thing, baka." She shot him an incredulous look, which only brought a smile to his face. "__It only makes you stronger." _'Much, much stronger than me,'_ he thought humourlessly._

_Sakura still looked sceptical. __"How's that?"_

_"You have the power to give life to things, and your heart is too pure to use that power to destroy things created by somebody else." Syaoran returned Sakura's blank stare with one of his own. "Killing is being weak, Sakura. It takes immense strength to find it in you to forgive a person, despite whatever he might have done."_

_"I'm not forgiving him!" Sakura exclaimed furiously. "I want to protect you from getting hurt and I want to see him suffer, if he tries to lay a hand on you. I don't want to be strong, Syaoran." Tears pooled in her eyes as her voice died to a whisper. "Let me be weak."_

_"You won't let yourself be weak," Syaoran replied simply. "Take pride in that, Sakura."_

Syaoran absently wondered if Sakura had been seeking clarification about what he had said, when he had kissed her that night to shut her up for some time. _'I thought I was imagining that muffled noise,'_ he thought blandly. Making a mental note to ask her about it later, he tore his gaze away from the small plant and headed back inside the castle, only then beginning to feel the heat from standing in the sun for so long.

Syaoran hastily made his way indoors and was momentarily distracted by the sight of the main hall. _'It was full of blood... and pieces of her.'_ Shuddering at the image of the dream, he took the stairs two at a time, deciding to tell Sakura that he couldn't find Tomoyo, even though he hadn't really looked much. _'I just want to be around her... especially today.'_

Not bothering to understand the implications underlying his thoughts, Syaoran walked towards Sakura's room at a steady pace but stopped short when he saw an eerie blue glow emanating from the slips under the adjacent doors. Cold fear gripped him as he ran towards the door to the left and barged in. The fact that the door was unlocked went unnoticed by him, until he found himself sprawled face down on the floor.

A short giggle drew his attention upwards and he jumped to his feet as Syaoran caught sight of Sakura engulfed in the same glow that he had seen earlier. "Sakura, what -"

Gliding her way to him, Sakura placed an affectionate kiss on Syaoran's lips and whispered, "Happy birthday, love."

To say the least, Syaoran was shocked beyond belief. He barely managed to take his eyes off Sakura, which was only after he caught sight of a large piece of cloth, fluttering behind his princess. A green banner was spread across the breadth of the room, with 'Happy birthday!' embossed on it in glittering letters. The sound of footsteps to his right stopped his words of appreciation, as he saw Tomoyo standing in the doorway, arms laden with three relatively large presents. She smiled brightly at him and chirped, "Happy birthday, Syaoran-kun." She motioned to the boxes in her arms and continued, "From Sakura and me and the last one from the King and the Minister."

"How did you know?" Syaoran choked out, stunned.

Sakura stepped away from him and pouted in mock hurt. "You don't remember telling me sometime after you first came here?" She grinned at the dazed look on her guardian's face. "You thought I forgot, didn't you?"

Syaoran could only nod. Staring at the two girls, he mumbled, "I didn't think you cared enough at that time to remember my birthday." The feeling finally sunk in. _'I'm celebrating my birthday for the first time since I became responsible for the Li clan's future.'_ Smiling gratefully, Syaoran said warmly, "Thank you for this."

Sakura started to beam back at him in response, when Tomoyo plodded her way across the room and placed the three wrapped boxes on the bed. "You can't thank us until you open your presents and tell us that you like them." The smile never left his face as he silently complied.

Deciding to pick the largest one up first, he unwrapped the steel box from its silver wrapping paper. His eyebrow quirked as he took in the small globe that started to sparkle when he touched it. _'Use this when the time comes. – Yue' _Briefly wondering why they felt the need to put such a small thing inside a large container, Syaoran picked up the other note and tried in vain to check his laughter. _'Keep your hands off my sister, brat. Don't think I don't know where they've been.'_

He glanced up at Tomoyo and asked, curiosity lacing his voice, "Did they happen to say what this was for?" A shake of her head sent a disappointed pang through him. "I'll have to thank them later," he muttered, picking up a flatter box, wrapped in purple. Inside, he found a bottle-green suit that was extremely smooth to the touch. Astounded, Syaoran said, "You made this, Tomoyo?"

"I like designing clothes," she replied, smiling sweetly. "Have you seen Sakura's red dress?" Unbidden, a flush spread across Syaoran's face and Tomoyo's eyes sparkled mischievously. "I made that, too."

Sakura giggled at Syaoran's expression. "Tomoyo's being modest. All my clothes are by her." She looked thoughtful for a minute and added, reminiscently, "There was a phase when we were eleven, when all she used to design were short, funky clothes and I used to freeze nearly every day since the dresses were so tiny and I didn't have anything else to wear."

Syaoran took stock of all this and shot Tomoyo an extremely grateful look. "Thanks, Tomoyo."

Tomoyo smirked delightfully as she turned to leave the room. "Thank me by wearing it to dinner tonight." Pausing at the door, she added lightly, "Sakura put a lot of effort into her present. For your own safety, I hope you thank her appropriately."

Syaoran barely registered the click of the door as it closed, instead opting to bask in Sakura's warm gaze as she slowly traipsed towards him, a devious look crossing her features for a split second. That was his only warning before she leaped into his arms and fastened her mouth over his. Syaoran tightened his grip around her waist as he leaned in to intensify the kiss, sighing happily at the only birthday celebration that he could remember. So caught up in the searing emotions he had missed while he was away from her, Syaoran nearly pouted in regret as Sakura pulled away from him, green eyes sparkling gleefully.

Firmly placing her feet back on the ground, Sakura wordlessly dragged Syaoran to her bed and unceremoniously handed him the last box. Small and flat, the black box didn't feel remarkably heavy. _'I have to... thank her appropriately,'_ Syaoran recalled, smirking slightly. Seeing a photo frame lying face down as he opened the box, he made a move to pick it up before a small hand covered his and stilled his motions.

"Before you see what it is," Sakura began hesitantly. "I just thought... You do know that I really appreciate all the training you're giving me, right?" she blurted out.

"Baka," he muttered, his mouth twitching slightly. Taking her gentle look to be a sign of approval, he picked up the frame and blinked rapidly to dispel the sudden prickling sensation that he felt. _'Sakura...'_

Syaoran was staring at a beautifully drawn charcoal sketch of the two of them, casually embracing while standing in unfamiliar surroundings, looking blissful to be in each other's arms. The emotion that they felt, being together, was reflected in the sketched eyes. The picture grew blurry as Syaoran's battle against his tears was lost. His throat began to burn when a pair of soft, warm arms enveloped him and, leaning against the body attached to the arms, he asked brokenly, "How did you do this?"

Rubbing his back slowly, soothingly, Sakura replied, "I think the fact that you were training me had a lot to do with it." She caught a glimpse of his curious look from his place on her shoulder. "I'm not very good at drawing, Syaoran," she explained. "But, in my mind... This is what we look like." She smiled as she felt a feather-light brush against the crook of her neck. _'He isn't crying anymore, either,'_ Sakura thought, relieved.

Lifting his head off her shoulder, Syaoran shot her an intense look before raising a finger, asking her to wait for him. At her nod, he dashed off into his room and caringly placed the photo frame on his dresser. _'I don't have words to tell her...'_

Sakura had barely counted to five before Syaoran reappeared in front of her and kissed her again, eliciting a deep sigh from the Princess. Before she knew it, she felt herself being carried in Syaoran's arms and was bewildered when she realised that he was taking her to the balcony. It took her all the effort she possessed to think about anything apart from the reactions that his lips and his tongue and just the presence of his arms on her body were causing her. Her stomach churned and promptly fell out when she felt his teeth capture her lower lip gently.

Gasping in shock when she felt herself being placed on something remarkably cool, Sakura pulled herself mere centimetres away from Syaoran. "What are you doing?" Sakura breathed against his lips, only absently realising the feelings she was stirring in him.

"Thanking you appropriately," Syaoran retorted, smiling sweetly at Sakura, who was completely enchanted before a delicate breeze distracted her. It wasn't so much the breeze as it was the petals that were billowing in the wind. _'Cherry blossoms,'_ she thought happily.

"Are you conjuring this?" Sakura stared at him, demanding an honest answer.

"Of course I am." Syaoran rubbed his nose affectionately against hers. "Do you see any cherry blossom trees behind you?"

"But it's your birthday, you shouldn't be exerting yourself so -" Syaoran cut off her protests with a quick, burning kiss before glaring at her in pseudo-resentment.

"If it weren't for you," he growled playfully, "I wouldn't have had such a nice birthday." He nibbled on her earlobe and Sakura vaguely wondered why she thought of him as completely irresistible. _'He knows he's doing this to me, and I know he knows. Why do I let it happen?'_ All her rational thoughts went flying out of the window when a lick to her neck and a hand that she didn't know was wandering, found its way to her breast. _'Maybe it has something to do with the fact that he makes me feel like I'm walking on air.'_

Deciding she had had enough of her thoughts for one day, she gave herself up completely to Syaoran's ministrations, while responding with equal vigour. Neither teen budged from their position on the parapet of the balcony. Sakura momentarily gathered her wits to mumble, in a passion-induced haze, "Happy birthday, Syaoran," before scattering her thoughts all over again.

The mind of the boy in question was in a worse condition than Sakura's. Her greeting found meaning very belatedly, by which time Syaoran's mouth was otherwise occupied in a different part of Sakura's body, far away from her lips.

The Princess barely comprehended the "Love my Sakura" that escaped Syaoran. She was altogether too caught up in the multitude of stars she saw behind her closed eyelids and the rush of heat that suddenly coursed through her body. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she knew that Syaoran's words had, in no small part, caused the extremely new reaction that she wouldn't mind getting used to.

* * *

**AN:** Mindless S&S, but drama is so much easier to write somehow. XD 

Love to all the reviewers who aren't flaming me to hell with all the crap I put the characters through. I **want** to have the next chapter out in the next two days, but we'll see how well that goes. :)


	15. Chapter 15

**AN:** Suddenly I find myself lacking the motivation to type out each chapter. It has a lot to do with reality sucking the life out of me completely and leaving me absolutely drained. That is the only excuse I have for this coming out so late.

Pardon typos and grammatical errors. These things happen when a fic is written at two in the morning.

**Disclaimer:** Oh, please.

* * *

"It's been a month since they started, Touya," Yue said, glancing at the King out of the corner of his eye. "We have to tell them."

"We need to test them, as well," Touya grumbled, trying to rub out the crease in his forehead. The thought of putting his sister in danger, even if it was for her own good, was not doing anything to ease his stressful condition.

Yue sighed. His views on testing the Princess and the boy were much the same as Touya's. Reluctantly, he pressed, "Whatever has to be done must be done soon." Taking stock of the weariness that was making itself apparent, Yue continued gently, "I know that you know all of this, Touya. But we have to make sure they aren't making themselves weaker, instead of stronger."

Looking as though he had lost the most important battle of his life, Touya said resignedly, "Call them here." As an afterthought he added, "Daidouji, too."

Yue nodded and shot one last concerned glance at Touya, before flying out to the open space that the two teenagers had taken to train in lately, leaving the King alone on his bed with only his morose thoughts for company.

**XXX**

The crackling energy and the swirling silver and blue beams of magic alerted Yue to the teenagers' location, which he thought he had missed. He had to commend the spot that they had chosen – completely barren with no housing or signs of life for a fairly large radius. _'There is no way that innocent people could get affected like this,'_ Yue thought appreciatively, before descending at a safe distance from the two, who appeared to be practicing attack magic.

He watched as Syaoran used his sword and an ofuda to call on lightning, which was thrown away by what seemed like a glowing ball of pure energy that prickled Yue's senses, despite the distance he had put between himself and the spell-casters. His gaze grew grim as he observed Syaoran discard his sword and chant a spell to bring a stronger round of lightning, which Sakura deflected by conjuring a shield. _'This boy is no mere trickster, if he uses an ofuda to cast attacks of lower intensity.'_ Yue's thoughts were distracted by the visible strengthening of Sakura's shield as it absorbed Syaoran's lightning, making it sparkle brightly for an instant before solidifying.

Deciding it was time to intervene, Yue stepped into the range of their combined magic, trying not to wince at the effect it was surely going to have on him. Sakura noticed the sudden awkwardness in the air around her and dropped her defensive stance hurriedly upon glimpsing the Minister. She barely noticed her knees give out below her and Syaoran's arms that caught her in the nick of time. _'I'm still exhausted,'_ Sakura thought irritably, allowing herself to lean on Syaoran. _'The only consolation is that I'm able to hold out a lot longer now.'_

"Thank you," Yue grunted, looking extremely wary.

Syaoran inclined his head and asked, "Is something the matter, Yue-san?"

"The King would like to speak to both of you, as would I," he replied. "If you could find Daidouji-san and bring her along with you to the throne room." He left his sentence unfinished and flew away without waiting for a response. He threw one last, guarded glance at the place where the two had been practicing before disappearing from their sight.

"That was weirder than usual," Sakura mumbled, gingerly relinquishing her hold on Syaoran. "What do you think they want from us?"

Syaoran shrugged, but his eyes belied his anxiety. "They want Tomoyo there as well. Maybe it isn't anything big."

Sakura snorted in disbelief and giggled at Syaoran's teasing expression. Intertwining her fingers in his, she sighed, trudging back to the castle and dragging her protector behind her. "Let's just find Tomoyo and get it over with. Then I can get my sleep." Her eyes shone delightedly at the prospect and her pace picked up. It was all Syaoran could do to keep from bursting into laughter.

They found Tomoyo chatting with one of the maids behind the kitchens and hurried her away to meet Touya, startling the poor girl out of her wits. "What's going on?" Tomoyo sounded nervous.

Sakura exchanged a slightly guilty look with Syaoran and replied, "Yue said Touya wanted to talk to us."

"That doesn't sound so bad," Tomoyo said slowly. "What do they want to talk about?"

"We don't know yet," Syaoran said grimly. "But it was important enough for Yue to interrupt a training session." _'Which he generally tries to avoid as much as possible,'_ he added silently.

Before any more questions could be asked or answered, the three teenagers found themselves at the entrance to the throne room and Syaoran was distinctly uncomfortable to note that not one of them was feeling very positive about the meeting that lay ahead.

Pushing the sense of foreboding aside, he led the way for Sakura and Tomoyo to follow and bowed stiffly upon seeing the King, before raising his eyes to meet Touya's defiantly. Before he could stick his foot in his mouth however, Sakura placed a calming hand on his shoulder and stepped forward. "Onii-chan, you wanted to see us?"

The trio stared, baffled, as the King merely grunted in response. Thinking fast, Yue said, "Yes, Princess, there is something we would like to discuss with you and Li-san. We requested for Daidouji-san's presence as well, since we didn't want her to be out of the loop."

Sakura looked from the first elder male to the other and frowned deeply. _'This does not look good.'_

"Yue-san, what's going on?"Only a hint of the nervousness that he was feeling showed through in Syaoran's voice.

But it was enough to draw a slight smirk out of Touya. "Brat, do you and the kaijuu realise what you've been doing with your magic for the last month?"

Syaoran cut off Sakura's possible vehement response casually. "I presume we've been making hers several times stronger, while I'm not becoming rusty."

"You presumed wrong." Syaoran's eyes widened at Touya's crisp statement.

"I don't think I understand, your Highness."

"We didn't think either of you would," Touya said, not unkindly. Turning his gaze on Sakura, he asked, feigning disinterest, "What do you think about all your practice sessions, Sakura?"

"I've told you a million times, Onii-chan," she replied, trying to keep the frustration out of her voice. "I'm extremely grateful for it and I'm getting stronger. I can feel it."

"I was afraid of that," Touya muttered, too softly to be heard by anyone save for Syaoran, whose brow crumpled.

"You two are getting stronger together, and at a rate that hasn't been seen till date," Yue explained, wanting to spare Touya the discomfort. "It isn't just refinement and training, as we thought would be the case."

"I don't understand any of this," Sakura whimpered. "What are you saying, Yue-san?"

Yue sighed. _'The layman's version, it is.'_ Glancing at Touya again, he rephrased, "Both of your powers are becoming one as your relationship and your training advances. It should mean that you're getting stronger together and we called you here to test that strength." Off the teenagers' startled looks, he added blandly, "I can't put it any simpler than that, and we don't have a choice. Neither Touya nor I wish to test you since it would involve the possibility of hurting you."

"If you don't want to, then why are you doing it?" Syaoran's anger was understandable and Touya sensed that he was barely refraining from letting himself loose.

"We need to do this to make sure Sakura-hime isn't exerting herself in vain." Ever in control of the situation, Yue tried to simmer the boy's anger before he caused an accident.

It dawned on him that something wasn't right with Yue's statements. "What do you mean?" he asked slowly. "This **test** will involve just Sakura?"

_'Tough luck, Yue. Kid's sharp.'_ Touya wondered if sugar-coated half-truths would work on the boy. Assessing the livid posture and the wheels that were probably turning in his head, the King was inclined to disagree. He merely watched as Yue resigned himself to being completely honest.

"No, Li-san, the test is for both of you." Syaoran knew there was a catch and all he was doing was waiting for it. "We will be testing her abilities to attack and defend herself. And," Yue paused, knowing Syaoran wasn't going to be pleased. "Li-san, your part of the test will be to stay out of it and not help the Princess in any way."

It took all of Syaoran's self-control to leave the two men standing as they were instead of tearing them into shreds. "It is my duty to protect Sakura," he growled, struggling to maintain his composure. "I will not just stand by and watch her get attacked."

"If you've taught her well, you don't need to worry." Touya had had enough of sitting around. He glared at Syaoran, but it lacked its usual intensity. "We've seen what you two can do to people with your magical auras, when they accidentally combine as you train. All we want to see is whether that same power comes out when you use your magic individually."

"What the hell is the point of such a ridiculous exercise?" Syaoran was finding it harder by the second to keep his temper in check.

"Baka, haven't you been paying attention to Sakura's dreams?" Touya couldn't take it anymore. He appreciated the boy's protectiveness. _'But there really is a limit,'_ he thought furiously. It seemed as though his words had an effect, as Syaoran quietened down. Touya continued, a little calmer, "If you want to prevent that from happening, allow us to test both of you."

"It isn't my decision to make," Syaoran whispered, looking defeated.

All eyes were on Sakura, who caved under the pressure and nodded, feeling extremely fearful. Before she could think twice about her decision, she felt Syaoran grip her upper arms strongly and place a fierce kiss on her lips, obviously not caring about who saw. She felt the breath rush out of her as he let her go and pointing to their left, he said, "I'm going to stand by that wall with Tomoyo. If you need my help, all you have to do is call out my name and I'll be there. Don't forget."

It was with extreme reluctance however, that Syaoran moved away from his princess and left her completely to the whims of Touya and Yue. Tomoyo noticed his vice-like grip on his sword and realised that it was taking everything he had to keep himself from jumping in to protect Sakura. She winced as Yue dealt the first strike, throwing an unprepared Sakura off her feet, drawing a low growl from Syaoran.

Sakura grimaced, rubbing her injured arm lightly and stood up shakily, directing a strong beam of energy at Touya, instead. He frowned as he barely managed to avoid the hit and Yue barked, "Your opponent is me, Princess. Leave him out of it."

"Both of you are testing me," Sakura retaliated. "It's only fair that I -"

"Two against one is not fair, kaijuu," Touya interrupted. Seeing that she was about to argue, he continued, "You will fight against Yue. The brat and I will watch."

Sakura grumbled in agreement and squared off against the Minister, who was watching her every move like a hawk. She was prepared for the darts that felt like ice-chips as the billowed past her, some getting embedded in her hastily raised shield. Neither one was prepared for the darts to fly back towards their owner, causing Yue to fly a few feet above her head. Not wanting to miss a single chance, Sakura concentrated on sending blue tendrils towards Yue that wrapped themselves around his arms as she yanked him mercilessly towards the ground. He regained his bearings faster than she expected and was only a little disappointed when her first attempt at sending pellets of concentrated energy towards an opponent was deflected almost casually by a flick of Yue's hand.

Dashing towards Sakura, Yue tried to push her into the floor and instead met warm air as Sakura quickly leaped aside. Whipping around, he threw long trailing branches that were aimed towards her legs and, much to his surprise, in a few seconds he found that the branches had been neatly cut. Baffled, Yue looked up to find Sakura triumphantly holding what seemed suspiciously like the boy's sword. _'How did she get that?'_

Taking advantage of Yue's momentary distraction, Sakura sent a sharp, flying kick at Yue's head, knocking him backwards for an instant. That was all the Princess needed to pounce on Yue and hold Syaoran's sword meaningfully at his neck. "Any more **tests**?"

"Get up." The voice came from behind her and, if she knew her brother as well as she thought, he sounded extremely strained.

Sakura obeyed Touya respectfully and threw the sword back at Syaoran, who caught it with an almost lazy smirk. Only Tomoyo would know the worry that had dominated all other emotion when Sakura had been sparring with Yue.

"When did you get the brat's sword?" Touya demanded harshly. "I thought I made it clear that the test was to be one-on-one."

"He isn't a brat; his name is Syaoran," Sakura replied coolly. "As for the other, Syaoran and I are a team. We are strongest when we are together. I thought you said that yourself," she added, a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

"Pardon me, Princess, but when exactly did you ask Li-san for his sword?" Yue had kept his eyes on Sakura the entire time and not once did she signal towards the young boy. _'So when?'_

"He has good hearing," Sakura stated simply, trying to avoid the unnecessary details. "I just asked for his sword in a tone low enough for him to catch but the rest of you to miss."

"The two of you have been planning battle strategies?" Touya sounded immensely surprised and both teenagers took extreme offense.

"I believe the reason we've been training so hard is because something big is going to happen here soon." Sakura's reply was crisp. "We'd be idiots to exhaust ourselves physically without coming up with plans to use our improved powers."

"I suppose that was sufficient proof to show that the training has been beneficial," Yue cut in smoothly. "It seems to have increased Li-san's self-restraint as well."

"Barely," Syaoran muttered, not wanting to admit to the elders what he had been going through a few minutes ago.

Yue frowned and continued, "Nevertheless, I think it would be a good idea to test you once a month, just to monitor any changes."

Sakura smiled brightly and went over to Syaoran and Tomoyo. "That's great. Now we can leave!" Turning back to face her brother, she added delightfully, "Onii-chan, don't make such a scary face. You're going to become the kaijuu at this rate." Giggling at the dark look that Touya gave her, Sakura skipped out of the room, with Tomoyo and Syaoran hot at her heels. None of the three would ever mention how grateful they were that they could leave without incident.

**XXX**

Yue waited for them to be out of earshot before he said slowly, "That's much better than we had expected from them."

"True," Touya agreed thoughtfully. "But that doesn't mean anything."

Nodding, the Minister pondered aloud, "It could truly be a sign of amazing latent powers that are slowly being developed. Or," his voice turned grim at the thought, "it could just be a minor power boost, which will ultimately decline in strength."

"Meaning that Sakura and the brat might not be as strong as they think they are." Touya's frown grew deeper.

"It is of no fault of their own that they think that," Yue reprimanded gently. "We put the thought in their heads and it is only natural that they take pride in the fact."

Touya grunted. "Doesn't mean I have to like the way this is going."

Yue sighed. "Only time will tell, Touya." He felt a small part of him crumble at the crushed look on the King's face. He moved over to Touya's side and placed a tender palm on his face. "We can't do anything about it, Touya. There isn't any use in regretting what's been said."

"I know," Touya whispered, leaning into the touch. "I just wish there was a way to stop from happening at all."

* * *

**AN:** Yes, I am the evil author of doom and cryptic messages from Hell. (And so proud XD) Who else can't wait for the winter showdown?

Hugs and tonnes of love to my lovely reviewers, who never fail to give me excellent comments regarding each chapter:)


	16. Chapter 16

**AN:** Big, big gore alert. There's an excellent reason this fic is rated M, and this chapter is an example of that. And also, some of you might recognise a name at the end of the chapter from the manga _**Black Cat**_, but the character I'm talking about bears no resemblance to the character from the other manga. I've just borrowed a name, since I'm terrible at coming up with them.

A basketful of thanks to **SilentCynara** for her wonderful remarks about this chapter. :)

Now that that's out of the way, I need to hide myself from possible flames. O.O

**Disclaimer:** I don't own CCS and I don't own the character name from Black Cat either.

* * *

Sakura's wordless truce with her nightmares ended that same day. After an exhausting day filled with training and Touya's surprise test, she was more than willing to drop off into her dreamless slumber, that she had become accustomed to since Syaoran started to share her room. She didn't stop to attribute her peaceful sleep to Syaoran's influence and bid him good night without giving a second thought to the mumbled "I'll join you in a bit" that she heard before dropping her head onto the pillows.

Sakura had just begun to drift off when she felt a searing pain across her arms and choked back a scream when she saw the familiar knives embedded in them, with zigzag trails of blood flowing in copious amounts. She nearly fainted at the metallic smell that suddenly threatened to overwhelm her senses. _'I thought you couldn't feel pain in dreams,'_ Sakura thought absently, trying not to move around too much. She had always been the observer in her dream, never the target. _'So why now?'_

"Your dreams have always been protected by Li-san." An unfamiliar voice floated eerily through the hall, sending a shiver down Sakura's spine. She couldn't feel anybody's presence around her and shrieked in shock when a figure loomed overhead. The haunting smile that was second-nature to her appeared inches from her face, taking all of Sakura's self-control to stop herself from twisting free from her hold and running away.

"Hello, Sakura-hime," the man said cheerily, stepping backwards to give Sakura a clear view of his face. It pained her to think that she still couldn't recognise him.

"W-Who are you?" Sakura knew her fear was evident in her voice. "Why are you doing this to me?" Something about the situation struck the Princess as odd, and she started, realising that Syaoran wasn't anywhere near her. "Where is Syaoran?"

"So many questions," he said distantly, the leer seemingly pasted on his face. "Aren't you an inquisitive little thing?" Sakura didn't have the time to flinch when she felt a whip lash against her neck. The only indication that Sakura had felt the pain was the dot of blood that appeared on her lip, which she had bitten to keep herself from screaming.

A half-interested eyebrow quirked at Sakura's resilience. "You're quite the strong one, too. You might have been a more interesting subject than he was." He chortled briefly before shaking his head. "No, I take that back. He was extremely interesting in the short time that I spent with him."

Losing her patience, Sakura spat, "What have you done to Syaoran? Who the hell are you?"

"That's no way for a princess to talk," the man stated coldly, an instant before a piercing scream ripped through the room, leaving Sakura gasping in pain; her feet had taken their place a few feet away from her body, lumped together in an ungracious heap.

After what seemed like hours, Sakura lost feeling in her legs and was alarmed to see a rather disappointed look on the man's face. "I thought that would have done it," he said, sighing. "I think maybe I'll answer one question of yours before I proceed." Smiling brightly, he added, "Choose the right question to ask, Sakura-hime."

Glaring sharp daggers at the infuriating man standing before her, she asked raspily, "Who exactly are you?"

"So predictable." He sighed again before kneeling in front of her, dragging the doctor's kit along with him. _'Where did that come from?'_ Sakura thought in bewilderment, which rapidly changed to alarm upon seeing the man casually fiddle with what looked like an extremely sharp and very big corkscrew.

"I'm just a man who likes to have his fun." It was with an evil leer that he slowly twisted the corkscrew into Sakura's side, relishing the cries that turned into broken sobs, stopping only when the entire chunk of metal had been driven into the Princess. He brought his eyes down to level with Sakura's and patted her head like one would pet a dog. "I knew that would do it."

Amidst all the pain, Sakura found herself being vaguely confused. _'It hurts... What is he talking about? ... Why isn't the pain stopping?'_ She was only mildly startled when she felt something lap against her cheek; the man was cradling her to him as gently as he could, licking away the lone tear that had drifted down the left side of her face. _'He wanted to see me cry?'_

"I like to torture strong people until they break and start to cry," he whispered, blowing a nasty breath of air past her face. "There's just something immensely satisfying about seeing a tough person cry." It took Sakura several minutes to realise that he was answering her earlier question.

Using the knives as leverage, the man pushed himself off Sakura, sending the instruments further down into her arms and drawing a helpless cry from the Princess. "Would you like me to answer your other questions, Sakura-hime?" he smiled.

Sakura would never know where she found the strength to nod and breathe, "Please."

"You're like putty already." He sounded delighted. "Nobody I've done this to has ever learnt so quickly. I think I'll reward you." Sakura had never been more afraid of being rewarded and knew her fears had not been unfounded when she felt the corkscrew being ripped mercilessly from her side.

Her painful haze cleared and the stream of tears reduced in their intensity when she found herself blankly hearing words that didn't make any sense. Struggling to pay attention, Sakura blinked rapidly and saw the man sitting calmly with his bag, with the air of one waiting for tea to be served.

"Li-san has been... very protective of you, Sakura-hime," the man was saying, looking immensely displeased. "His presence beside you as you fall asleep is strangely enough to repel my magic and prevent me from entering your dreams." He paid no heed to the whimpers elicited by the young girl and continued, "However, if you happen to fall asleep without him by your side, I can enter again. Which," he added gleefully, "is exactly what happened today."

He frowned as he saw Sakura's lips move, but without any sound. "I'm sorry, Princess, I didn't quite catch that."

It hurt to breathe. Sakura wondered if it was possible to die inside a dream and wisely decided that it was a worry for later on. She inhaled deeply, sending horrible shudders through her body and mumbled, barely coherent, "Why isn't he here?"

"You mean Li-san?" he asked rhetorically. Without waiting for a response, he whipped the other side of her neck, drawing a sharp intake of breath before Sakura's head fell limp against her shoulder. "Impertinence," the man muttered, taking his favourite blade that was barely three inches long, before going towards her and slicing her forearm open.

Sakura's head jerked upright at the familiar, yet new feeling of pain. Her eyes opened to see the only person she wished with all her might would drop dead, smiling wickedly. "Much better," he said, brushing his trousers before taking his seat once again.

"You were asking me about Li-san," he recalled. "He isn't here because I don't require him in this dream." Before Sakura could ask another difficult question, he went on, "That should not make you believe, however, that what you've witnessed in your dreams prior to today will not take place." He paused to cleave an opening in her other forearm, biting his lip to keep from chuckling at the steady flow of tears. "Li-san will definitely die, and by the looks of it, so will you."

Sakura was lost. She couldn't take the pain anymore and the man's words were cutting her too deep. She sank into the abyss that welcomed her with open arms and frowned as a bright silver light shone in front of her, disrupting the peaceful warmth that she was beginning to get used to. She started to resist the void she was floating in as she heard a familiar voice call, "Sakura, wake up!"

"I'm here," Sakura replied weakly, knowing he wouldn't be able to hear. She stood up and pulled against the tendrils that had taken a liking to her arms. She didn't think about why she couldn't feel the pain anymore. "I have to get to him," she whispered to the green cords around her. "I have to save him from what's to come."

Sakura thought she felt anger radiating from her left and heard the undergrowth that she was standing on say, "Protect yourself as well. That man is not to be trifled with." She could hear raging sounds towards her left now and wondered if she had imagined the pained yell, when the tendrils pushed her strongly into the shining silver light.

"Thank you," she said softly, before collapsing into a familiar pair of strong arms.

Syaoran was beside himself with worry. He had been in his room for barely five minutes before he felt something wrong with Sakura and found her with blood on her arms and hip, feet fading in and out and identical angry bruises on either side of her neck. Too afraid to shake her awake, he had resorted to calling out her name gently in the beginning, and vehemently later on, praying she'd hear him and wake up. When tears started to fall, Syaoran had unconsciously wrapped her body with his magic, before lending her his magic purposefully, realising that she was reacting positively to the known aura.

Sakura had stopped twitching barely a minute ago and Syaoran found himself releasing pent-up breath that he didn't know he had been holding when he saw her chest rise and fall steadily, the blood on her skin dissipating faster than it had come. _'What happened to you, Sakura?'_ he thought sadly, stroking the hair away from her face. He knew he wouldn't be getting any sleep and was content to spend the night simply looking at his princess.

He was not prepared for her eyelids to flutter, before she sat up straight and hugged him fiercely. Rendered immobile by the force of her hug, Syaoran awkwardly patted the little portion of her back that he could reach and frowned slightly when he heard her sob, "He's awful, Syaoran. So awful."

Syaoran pried her gently away from him and felt a small part of him crumble at the utter helplessness that was so clear on Sakura's features. Steeling himself, he asked, "What happened to you? Who did this?"

"I don't know who he was," Sakura hiccupped. "But he knew you and he said he didn't want you in the dream this time, that's why you weren't there. And he likes to make people cry, do you know he kept hurting me until I cried? But you would have been proud of me, I didn't cry for a very long time, I tried my best, I -"

Sakura's rambling was cut short when she saw a strange sheen in Syaoran's eyes. "Are you crying?" she asked curiously, craning her neck to view him from a better angle.

"No, I'm not," he replied firmly, clearing his throat to rid himself of the sudden block. "Can you describe him for me? Maybe I've seen him somewhere."

Shrugging nonchalantly, Sakura said, "I didn't pay much attention."

Something wasn't right about her. Syaoran frowned as he tried to put his finger on it and could have smacked himself silly when he understood. "I'm sorry Sakura," he said gently, taking her in his arms again. "You must think I'm horrible to be badgering you like this after everything that's happened."

"You aren't close to horrible," she mumbled against his chest, savouring the musky scent that was her definition of Syaoran. "He said he was able to manipulate my dreams today because I fell asleep without you by my side," she continued, answering his unasked questions.

"My magic doesn't allow him to enter your dreams?" Syaoran rested his head against hers and looked at her carefully, ensuring that he didn't cause her any additional strain.

Sakura blinked once in affirmation and smiled happily. "It was all thanks to you that I was able to get out of there in one piece."

"It was all thanks to me that you had to go through that in the first place," Syaoran said, smiling humourlessly. Placing a tender kiss on her forehead, Syaoran whispered, "I'm sorry Sakura. I won't leave you alone again."

Sakura shook her head slightly and replied, "It isn't your fault." At his disbelieving look, she continued, "You're spending all your time training me, Syaoran. I should be able to protect myself, if I have to." Silently she added, _'I should be able to protect you from him, too.'_

"My point is that you shouldn't have to protect yourself in the first place," Syaoran argued, nuzzling the crook of her neck and felt the tension seep out of his body as he breathed in the smell of cherry blossoms.

"I'm not a child, Syaoran," Sakura retorted softly, rubbing soothing circles into his back.

"But you're mine to protect," Syaoran said, with an air of finality. He pushed her back against the pillows and, hovering above her, said softly, "And I'm sorry I failed in that respect today." He pressed his lips against hers to cut off any further argument and swallowed a moan as she tangled her fingers in his hair. Syaoran let their tongues dance to an age-old tune briefly, allowing the heady sensations to overpower the despair that he had been feeling all night, before pulling away from Sakura.

Ignoring her half-hearted attempts at angry protests, Syaoran kissed Sakura chastely before holding her to him, wrapping her legs with his own. "Sleep, baka," he said over her complaints. "We have time for this tomorrow." Syaoran smiled gently at her pout and added mischievously, "We'll have a lot more fun if you're properly rested."

Blushing to her roots at the implication, Sakura mumbled, "Hoee," causing Syaoran to burst out in laughter. She stuck her tongue out at him, before snuggling up to his chest. "Good night, Syaoran."

In the time it took Syaoran to stop thinking about how he could avoid a repeat of that night's incident, Sakura had fallen fast asleep.

**XXX**

Touya had had a sleepless night, along with Yue, planning the arrival of what was to be the most important visit of the year. The arrangements for his accommodation, as well as for his protection and personal needs, were taking too much time, in Touya's opinion and according to Yue, too many of the country's valuable resources were getting depleted on this one person alone.

"But," as Touya put it, "if this visit goes well, then Kinomoto country won't have to worry about financial troubles ever again."

Yue was disinclined to believe that things would progress smoothly. "Touya, the kingdom isn't facing a deficit. Although it might, after this man leaves," he added, looking displeased at the thought.

"You know better than that," Touya chided gently. "If the talks go well, we have their protection as well. And," he pressed, seeing that Yue was about to say something, "I am not hinting that your abilities are lacking in any way. I'm just trying to think about the welfare of the country."

"I know," Yue sighed. "That doesn't mean I have to like it." Off Touya's inquisitive glance, he said, seemingly in discomfort, "There's something about this that I don't like."

"I was a bit paranoid about this initially," Touya said agreeably. "But Li-san's family has been associated with him for years and that calmed me down a bit."

Yue frowned. "Have you asked Yelan-san about him?"

Touya shook his head, slight traces of his apprehension showing through. "Yelan-san mentioned that she was taking care of something important this year. I didn't want to trouble her with this."

"But you did find out that this," Yue glanced at a sheet of paper in front of him for reference, "Diskenth Creed has been associated with the Li clan in the past?"

"On several occasions," Touya affirmed.

Yue sighed deeply. There was no getting out of this situation. Reluctantly, he asked, "When is he getting here?"

Just as unwillingly, Touya answered, "This winter."

The Minister's eyes widened by a fraction. "I can only hope," he said finally, "that the two events are completely unrelated."

"We're both wishing on the same star, then."

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**AN:** I'm still being protected from the flames. XD''

Lots of love to all the reviewers and every single person who helped get this fic 12,000 hits. -dies from shock-


	17. Chapter 17

**AN:** The suspense, and the late updates, continue! XD Studying is just horrible, especially when there are so many better things I can think of to do in that time. I don't think I have any warnings this time. Although maybe I should change the "Drama" to "Angst"?

Huge hugs to **SilentCynara** for her amazing feedback with this chapter. Without her, I think I might have drowned all of you in a sea of confusion... more than usual. :)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own these characters. Who knows what I might put them through if I did? XP

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When morning finally arrived, it found the three males of the castle in an extremely dishevelled state, since none of them had slept a wink all night. The impending arrival of the mysterious Creed in winter had Touya in a flurry as he prepared welcome speeches and arranged for only the best of food to be available. Through his anxious state he absently wondered why he hadn't delegated his responsibilities to a subordinate, before encountering the massive pile of accounts that answered his question – he couldn't afford the slightest mistake when it came to this man's visit.

Elsewhere, Yue flew around the castle, ensuring that there was a spacious room available with a delightful view of the now-green countryside, before making short, personal announcements to certain important families in the villages regarding accommodations for the rest of Creed's party – Yue was relying heavily on the support of the villagers and was immensely grateful when they offered no resistance. The endless administrative activities kept the King and the Minister up all night and they both knew that they would never be more pleased to see the back of an important delegate.

On the first floor of the castle, Syaoran flinched as the first rays of the sun shone brightly in his eyes and he turned away to hold the still sleeping princess more closely to him; he hadn't relinquished his grip on her for even a second through the night. The nerve-wracking guilt of being completely at fault for subjecting Sakura to a form of mental trauma that he couldn't even begin to imagine had firmly kept the young boy at bay from sleep.

Syaoran knew that he had made several enemies over the years – it was only to be expected, since some disputes in the past with the Li clan hadn't been resolved amicably. But no matter how much he tried, he couldn't think of a single enemy that was common to Kinomoto kingdom as well. It was located quite a ways from his home and he had always wondered why he had been chosen to protect Sakura, when there might have been many other more efficient warriors in places closer to home. In the end, he had attributed it to the distinguished status given to the Li clan, which only served to increase his current guilt; if he hadn't been called, Sakura might not have been hurt.

More importantly, Syaoran felt helpless at the thought that Sakura would go through a repeat of last night if he let her drift off without him by her side. He was determined to ensure that she would be safe during the nights, but Syaoran was still extremely apprehensive; their training was turning out to be so exhausting that it seemed possible for either of them to fall asleep at any time of the day, and he didn't know how he could prevent that from happening.

Shuddering at the thought of how difficult it had been to pry Sakura out from her dreams, Syaoran turned his glazed stare onto the Princess, who was slowly beginning to shift in his arms. He waited patiently and smiled slightly as she blinked up at him groggily. "Syaoran?" Sakura mumbled sleepily. "What time is it?"

"The sun's just up," he replied softly, helping her sit up a little straighter.

Sakura moaned. "Why am I up so early?"

Sympathetically, Syaoran asked, "Couldn't sleep too well?"

She shook her head adamantly. "I slept just fine. I didn't dream of anything." Disgruntled, Sakura sighed and leaned against the headboard. "I guess the aftershock was enough to rob me of any additional sleep I could have got."

Syaoran was only half-listening, torn between the now-familiar feeling of guilt and the desire to find out what exactly had happened in Sakura's dream. One glance at her innocent face, however, drove away any inclination he might have had towards interrogating her.

Sakura belatedly noticed the dark shadows under Syaoran's eyes and the haggard manner in which he was shifting his gaze from the top of the bed to her and back. Concerned, she placed a soft hand on his hair and asked, "Didn't you get any sleep?" Off Syaoran's surprised look, she said, "You look like a hundred horses ran over you."

Grinning at the mental image that statement conjured, he replied affably, "I'll be fine after a long shower, I think."

Sakura narrowed her eyes. "Why didn't you sleep?"

Noting the warning in her tone, Syaoran stated matter-of-factly, "I was worried about you. I've gone without sleep before, Sakura. I'll be fine, I promise."

Sakura had been regarding him calmly through his explanation and he was taken aback when she swatted him across the arm with a vehemently mumbled "Baka" before she gave him a short, but very fierce kiss.

Syaoran had no time to react, since by the time he had regained his bearings, Sakura was halfway across the room, gathering her belongings for her bath. She whispered something, tearing up a bit as she finished and Syaoran registered the clicks of the bathroom locks before he understood what she had said.

"I'm not worth that much, Syaoran."

Numb, he didn't know that he had taken the same steps as her until he felt his palm touch the cool wooden door. Syaoran rested his forehead against the obstruction that stood between him and Sakura, easily picking out the sound of her sniffles from the steady flow of water; it took all his self-control to leave the door standing.

Fisting the hand that rested against the wood, Syaoran said hoarsely, "You're proving that you're the baka here if you think that that's true." Her sobs didn't decrease as he pushed himself away from the door and, in a tone loud enough to reach Sakura, continued, "I love you and, to me, you're worth my life."

Without waiting for a response, Syaoran went back to Sakura's bed and flopped backwards, staring darkly at the ceiling. He was too lost in thought – and too far away – to realise that Sakura's sobs had turned into full-blown cries, muffled only moderately by the sound of the water hitting the floor.

**XXX**

Sakura stared blankly at the tiles, her mind not registering the impact that the freezing water was having on her body. Syaoran's words were ringing sharply in her ears and she knew that no matter how hard she wished, the words would never become untrue.

A sudden trickle of water into her ear brought Sakura out of her dazed reverie, but only temporarily as she shifted her gaze to the sunlight that filtered through the window overhead. She felt a mixture of delight and contentment and, strangely enough, utter despair at the reminder that if Syaoran hadn't made his presence felt in her life, the country would still be a permanent glacier. _'Just like me,'_ she thought, a sad smile forming on her face.

In all honesty, she couldn't convince herself to believe that maybe Syaoran's life would have been better if he had remained with his family. Sakura knew that she had, in no small part, contributed to his much more relaxed nature. She couldn't bring herself to regret meeting him, even in light of their near doom situation in the future. It was out of sheer desperation that she wished her impact on Syaoran had been less profound – desperation that arose out of the fact that she was powerless to prevent what was to come.

Deep down, Sakura had known how much she meant to Syaoran and hearing him say it aloud, despite her inner turmoil, had allowed her to feel a cherished warmth spread through her body. _'It was probably really difficult for him to say, too,'_ Sakura thought, blushing lightly. _'I must be worrying him, sitting in here for so long.'_ Her eyes widened as she realised that he had probably heard her crying as well, and mentally smacked herself for putting him through so much.

Sakura was about to hurry, attempting to complete her bath faster, when her own anxiety made itself visible again and she slumped slightly in defeat, the sparkle dissipating from her eyes. She remembered why she had overreacted a while ago and why she would never be able to tell Syaoran about the dream, fearing she might let something slip – Sakura knew who was targeting them.

As she stood under the torrent of water that was pounding a steady rhythm into her skull, Sakura mused over the fact that she shouldn't really have been surprised. He had dropped enough hints while slicing her open and Sakura shuddered at the reminder, absently running her palms over her arms and her hip, feeling only momentary relief when she touched unbroken skin.

Glancing at her fingertips that had shrivelled up, the Princess sighed as she turned off the shower and wrapped her usual flimsy towel around her. _'Obviously I didn't think to bring my clothes in with me,'_ she thought sardonically, gingerly stepping into her room and smiled slightly at the sight of her favourite boy, who was now sleeping peacefully with one arm clutching a pillow to his chest. She was momentarily amused when she noticed that the pillow had a distinct head-shaped dent in the centre and felt warmth rush through her when she realised that the pillow was hers.

The feeling of contentment quickly disappeared as the implication of his prone figure settled in Sakura's head. _'Poor Syaoran didn't get any sleep.'_ Only a small flash of sadness in her eyes betrayed Sakura's emotions and she was thankful that nobody was around to notice.

Truthfully, she didn't care if Syaoran saw her while she was changing into something more appropriate, but she still made short work of the task and went up to the bed, carefully taking the place of the pillow in Syaoran's arms. She squeaked as she felt herself be held more firmly and looked down to see amber eyes staring quietly at her.

She softly brushed the hair that fell into his eyes and said, "I thought you'd fallen asleep."

"I was waiting for you." Syaoran's gaze didn't flicker for a second and only seemed to pick up in intensity.

"Syaoran," she began hesitantly, wanting to explain why she couldn't talk to him about it, wishing she didn't care enough to want to protect him, knowing that her thoughts contradicted themselves as they piled up. Sakura was going to say something – **anything** – to lessen the heat she saw burning mindlessly in his eyes, when she felt a cool hand on her upper thigh and her breath hitched in her throat. The fire in his eyes was raging now, but his demeanour was calm and, when she didn't say anything for a while, the hand moved a little higher, seemingly determined to venture into an area that had been explored only once before.

"Syaoran?" Sakura didn't know how she managed the question, with the butterflies that were rampaging her insides and the air she was having trouble breathing in. "Syaoran, what are you doing?" Her query was slurred but she knew he understood.

"You can't tell me you don't want this, Sakura," he whispered, sending shivers down her spine. She gasped as he touched her gently, moaning when the force behind the touch became more insistent. She felt a spiralling rush of heady sensations as he stroked her slowly once, then twice, before she gave up count and allowed herself to be touched in ways she couldn't even dream of.

Syaoran smiled, almost maniacally, as he brought up two damp fingers and slowly sucked them dry, his eyes observing Sakura's every reaction like a hawk. "The body doesn't lie, princess."

The words were like a slap in the face. Struggling slightly, Sakura freed herself from his hold and said shakily, "What is wrong with you?"

"Is it wrong that I want you, Sakura?" Syaoran had wrapped himself around her again, his jaw set in determination; he wasn't letting her go this time.

The strength of his grip was bordering on painful, drawing a sudden wince from Sakura, who hadn't been prepared for it. Her shock at his behaviour and her consequent anger rapidly faded away when she saw Syaoran's resolve crumble, leaving a deeply wounded look in its wake. As his embrace weakened, she settled herself atop his lap and kissed his cheek softly, swallowing a sob at the raw pain written clearly across Syaoran's face.

"What if I slip again?" Sakura had to strain to hear his faint whisper. "What if I'm not around and you go through that again?" Though dry, his eyes were filled with too much remorse for her to bear. "I don't know what happened in your dream, but I was so scared. There was so much blood and I thought your feet were going to disappear and," Syaoran's voice cracked under the strain of keeping his emotions in check, "I didn't know what to do, Sakura. I don't like being so helpless when it comes to protecting you."

Any doubts the Princess might have had about keeping the contents of her dream hidden from Syaoran were completely erased as she heard him talk. She would die before willingly subjecting him through any more mental trauma. _'I just hope that when he realises the man's identity, the shock doesn't incapacitate him.'_

Turning her attention to more pressing, immediate concerns, Sakura said comfortingly, "There was no way you could have known, Syaoran. Plus, thinking about 'what if's' will get us nowhere." A glimmer of reluctant acceptance appeared in Syaoran's eyes and Sakura breathed a sigh of relief. "We'll focus on getting better and not allowing things like this to happen again."

Her next words died in her throat as he rested his head against her neck, inhaling deeply. Sakura smiled sadly at the obvious need for comfort and shifted around until she was cradling his head lovingly in her arms, with her head above his. Rocking gently, Sakura stroked his silky hair, ceasing only when she heard him ask, "We aren't going to stop training?"

The question voiced all his insecurity and his fears of being unable to protect Sakura in the future and unhesitatingly, Sakura replied, "We're going in half an hour."

His head bobbed beneath hers and she resumed rocking them back and forth, lending Syaoran all the warmth he needed and all the comfort he could take from her close proximity. _'Until then, Syaoran,'_ Sakura thought, pained at his lost nature, _'let me protect you.'_

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**AN:** See what I meant about changing the genre? X)

Tonnes of love to all the reviewers who haven't come after me with pitchforks for the crap I deal out every chapter. XD


	18. Chapter 18

**AN:** God, this is really late, isn't it? For those of you who don't know, I have my finals right now, and this -points to chapter- is how I use my holidays meant for studying. -.-'' And, I'm still an evil authoress. XD That should clue some of you in about what this chapter has in store.

Bigluv to **SilentCynara** for going through this chapter for me and offering me her kickass feedback. :)

**Disclaimer:** All characters (and most of them do show up here, for once) belong to CLAMP.

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For the next three weeks, Sakura slept badly while Syaoran barely got any rest at all. August had rapidly faded into September and their next test against Touya and Yue was drawing near. The training was exhausting for Syaoran, who was not used to being exposed to such large amounts of magic for so long, and it was taxingly intoxicating to Sakura, who felt almost drugged at the power running through her body, but she knew no means to maintain its pace. Syaoran would toss around restlessly all night, having been affected deeply by remaining in contact with so much raw power all day, while Sakura would always stare at the ceiling, relishing the new buzz that her magic seemed to be causing her.

Sakura would wake up every morning feeling completely energised, despite the sleepless night that would have just passed her by. Dragging a groggy Syaoran out of bed and stuffing breakfast down his throat while he was still half-asleep had become part of the routine, before they went down to their practice ground. Endless hours would go by without respite from the humidity that accompanied the season, nor from the strenuous training that took a heavy toll on them both.

For every night of those three weeks, Sakura dreamt of the man whose identity she was desperately trying to hide, unknowingly calling out to him in her dreams. She endured the pain she wasn't supposed to have felt, night after night until she became numb. She knew that if she didn't think of the man as she slept, he wouldn't be able to penetrate her mind. But there was something about the invigorating power she knew she possessed that lured her into believing that she was capable of handling the situation all by herself. That was the only reason she had for not telling Syaoran about her continually traumatic dreams.

Little did she know that she wasn't as good at concealing things as she thought; Syaoran had been privy to her incoherent mutters every night, and suffering from lack of sleep, he had slowly been able to decipher the mumbled grunts of pain, coupled with his name and what sounded disbelievingly like "protect". If Syaoran hadn't been so unsure about the word that she kept saying in her sleep, he would have sparred with her until she dropped from fatigue; the mere thought that she was trying to protect him from something was ridiculous to him. He couldn't think of the slightest thing for her to shield him from in the first place.

Owing to the utter lack of communication regarding something as important as this, their relationship started to become strained. Sakura began to feel it first, when she couldn't face Syaoran as she tried to sleep and when accidental walk-in's while bathing or changing became more embarrassing than they should have been. It took Syaoran a little longer to realise that he had stopped, at some point, taking Sakura's hand in his discreetly under the dinner table and maybe – just maybe – their training wasn't really worth anything.

It took just that – one training session – on an unusually cool day, for it all to blow up in their faces.

Sakura was finally beginning to feel the burden from not having slept in so long, paired with her disturbingly violating dreams and she remained sombre throughout breakfast, not noticing the concerned glances Syaoran was sending her way. Barely touching her food, Sakura rose to her feet when she heard Syaoran's plate chink against the table and mechanically walked towards the training area.

When they had almost reached, with Syaoran following Sakura a few paces behind, she heard his footsteps quicken and sighed in mild irritation; if he was trying to catch up to her, it meant he wanted to talk to her. _'And I haven't avoided serious discussions for so long for nothing,'_ she thought, savouring the familiar rush of power course through her veins.

"Sakura," he started, wondering when her name had become unfamiliar on his lips. "Are you -"

"I'm fine," she replied shortly. Sakura ignored the sharp tug she felt as she saw his face crumble. "Let's start."

Sighing, Syaoran reluctantly took his place at a distance opposite to her and drew his blade. He had barely taken his stance when he was blown backwards by a strong blast of pure white energy. Moaning slightly, he stood back up, only to have his yelled curse mingled with the wind as it shoved him back into the earth.

"What the hell are you doing, Sakura?" Syaoran yelled hoarsely, glancing momentarily in disbelief at a small gash in his left arm; her wind attack had actually managed to cut him. _'She's never thrown that much power at me before. What's she playing at?'_

"Training," Sakura replied softly, amazement shining in her eyes as she reached out to Syaoran with tendrils of wood that sprouted from her fingertips. The fascination at being so powerful – so in control of someone else's fate – took over her senses as the branches wrapped themselves around his legs and dragged him mercilessly along the ground. She heard a vague "Raitei shourai!" before the ends of the stems incinerated on the spot.

Syaoran stood up before her, a strong fire blazing in his eyes. Drawing out a paper ofuda, he glared at her and calmly chanted, "Fuuka shourai," continuing to stare passively at the wind that lifted her off her feet and disappeared without warning, causing her to stumble. He couldn't bring himself to use his much stronger, ofuda-less attacks directly on her, no matter how much she hurt him.

"Why didn't you attack me properly?" Sakura cried, kneeling on the ground. "Do you think I'm that weak?" Tears pooled in her eyes as she flung out an arm in anger, wincing as she heard him cry out when the sharp bolt of lightning struck his right arm. Her lip trembled as unbidden images of the last month flashed through her mind; memories of her continually getting stronger and stronger as the days went by, while Syaoran's attacks were always guarded. _'I am not weak,'_ Sakura thought, resolutely ignoring the short pants coming from Syaoran; it seemed that he had been extremely unprepared for such a strong attack from her.

Sakura squealed when she felt another, much gentler gust of wind carry her swiftly towards Syaoran, whose gaze was directed towards his now-smouldering sleeve. She stared in horror at the painful red bruise on his arm, wondering absently where the rage had come from to induce that kind of pain on the only man she had ever truly loved. She reached out to touch his arm, only to have her motion stopped by a firm hand that clasped her wrist.

Syaoran looked at Sakura straight in the eye and asked flatly, "What are you hiding from me?" At the horrified flush that spread across her cheeks, he went on, "Don't even think about running away from this. You've been mumbling in your sleep all month and we haven't had a conversation that wasn't superficial in just as long." He looked away from her and added blandly, "Plus your attacks just now."

Sakura clutched at her summer skirt, desperately thinking of a way to get out of the situation without telling Syaoran the entire truth. But one sneaky glimpse of his stoic features drove all those thoughts into isolation and she whispered sadly, "You knew I hadn't been sleeping well? Why didn't you ask me about it?"

"I thought you'd tell me about it." Syaoran was torn between shame and hurt at the statement. "When you didn't... I don't know what I was thinking, honestly."

"Probably that I didn't want you in on anything that was going on with me, right?" Bitterly, Sakura turned away, knowing it was far from the truth but needing to pin the blame on something else. _'He can't know. __No matter what.'_

"What?" Syaoran started in shock. "Sakura – no!" He whirled her around to face him and cracked at the distressing look on her face. "I thought you needed your time to come to terms with it before you could tell me about it." Wiping away the tears that rolled down her cheeks, he said softly, "I'm still sitting here, waiting for you to let me in, Sakura." As her body heaved with huge sobs, he prayed, _'Please let me in.'_

"I – I still dream about h-him," Sakura hiccupped, after what seemed like hours. "H-he's always torturing me with those knives, and taunting me with the fact that he knows you from somewhere." She raised her head to look at him, tracing the line of his jaw and avoiding, for the moment, his stunned expression at her revelation. _'He probably wasn't ready to hear it, even if he knew the truth,'_ Sakura thought sadly, dropping her hand to the lapel of his shirt. "I'm really, really scared, Syaoran," she admitted at last.

_'She's such an idiot,'_ Syaoran thought, anger replacing the initial upset. "Did you get carried away by your abilities?" he asked fiercely. "Since you're growing magically so soon, did you think that you'd be able to handle him all by yourself?" _'Without me by your side?'_ he screamed internally.

Unable to answer his furious questions, Sakura merely nodded, preparing herself for a verbal onslaught of rage and disappointment. When she felt her head get crushed against his chest, her eyes widened in surprise and she said, astonished, "Syaoran?"

"**I** am supposed to protect **you**," he replied tightly. "Do you understand that, Princess? It is my duty to -"

"Given by whom?" Sakura asked suddenly, cutting off his possessive rant.

Thrown for a loop, Syaoran said intelligently, "Huh?"

Sitting up ramrod straight now, Sakura pressed impatiently, "Who gave you that duty, Syaoran? Specifically?"

"Your brother when I first got here?" Syaoran was baffled at the sudden turn of events. _'What's so important about that now?'_

Shaking her head vigorously, Sakura said, "No! Back in your homeland. Who first told you that you'd have to come here to protect a virtually unknown princess?"

"Did something happen in your dream that you aren't telling me about?" Syaoran asked slowly.

_'Oh, my poor Syaoran.__ If only you knew,'_ Sakura thought dejectedly. "I'll tell you as soon as I know for sure that I'm not imagining things where they don't exist," she said evasively.

Looking sceptical, Syaoran said thoughtfully, "I don't remember who asked me to come here. Although," he added, a hint of the dullness that Sakura hadn't seen since he first arrived at the castle appearing in his eyes, "I think Diskenth might have had something to do with it. And the family doesn't disobey Diskenth."

"Who's Diskenth?" Sakura asked cautiously; she didn't want Syaoran to go back into his shell if she could help it.

Syaoran shrugged carelessly. "Nobody really knows. All we know is that he's really important and it wouldn't do us any good to disobey his direct orders."

Despite herself, Sakura's interest was piqued. "So, you think he sent you here?"

"I don't know, Sakura." Syaoran regarded her enquiringly. "What's bringing all this about?"

"Haven't you ever thought about it?" All of Sakura's earlier inhibitions were forgotten as she spoke, growing more excited by the minute. "Our homes are pretty far from each other, and our families aren't closely related or anything. So why ask you to come here to protect me, when there could have been so many others, for both you and me?"

"That is a matter for later, Your Highness." A voice sounded from above them and Sakura jumped, falling forwards into Syaoran's lap. Raising an amused eyebrow, Yue added, "I believe doing that is meant for later as well."

"Yue-san," Syaoran greeted calmly. "What brings you here?"

_'He sensed my presence even though I flew in?'_ Yue thought, unwillingly admiring. _'He's good.'_ Hovering a few feet above the ground, he replied, "Test time for this month. Daidouji-san is waiting already."

Sakura groaned and turned around to face him, frowning slightly as she caught sight of his weary countenance. "You look horrible," she said, without affection. "What happened?"

"Never you mind." As much as he didn't want to keep her in the dark, this was something Yue couldn't discuss with the Princess. _'At__least, not yet.'_ He watched the boy wince a little as he stood up and helped Sakura to her feet, noting with surprise the wounds on either arm. "What happened here? Why is Li-san injured?"

Sakura looked pained and Syaoran shot back, "Never you mind." Yue didn't miss the comforted glance that Sakura gave Syaoran, or the seemingly reassuring hand that went around her shoulder. _'Touya isn't going to be too happy about this,'_ he thought grimly.

"Come to the same place," Yue said crisply, before flying off towards the castle. The two teens missed the incredibly worried look that had appeared in the Minister's eyes at the realisation that, though reconciled now, Sakura had physically hurt Syaoran on purpose. _'It's happening sooner than we thought, Touya.'_ Yue glanced backwards briefly at the two specks on the landscape, that were just beginning to move. _'Maybe all hope is not lost yet.'_

"That was weirder than usual." Sakura's voice was tinted with confusion. "Onii-chan is definitely hiding something."

"And that isn't normal?" Syaoran grinned lightly as he took Sakura's hand in his own and started the long walk back to the castle.

Giggling, Sakura stuck her tongue out at him and squeaked as his lips enveloped hers in a soul-searing kiss. She sighed as she gave into the sensations his ministrations were causing in her, breathing heavily by the time he broke away. She felt his forehead rest against hers and looked upwards, to find herself locked in an intense amber stare.

"I'm sorry." Their voices rang out in the clearing together, drawing out small smiles from both of them. An unspoken understanding passed between the two as they resumed their walk, knowing that what had happened earlier would never happen again.

Before they knew it, their feet had brought them to the still unfamiliar, but distinctively unwelcoming doors. Syaoran could hear Tomoyo talking to Touya about something, but the thick, solid wood in front of him didn't allow him to catch a single word.

Tugging on the hand she was holding, Sakura whispered, "Let's go back upstairs and lock ourselves in. They can't make us come out by force."

Syaoran smiled and, placing a soft kiss by her ear, replied, "I think you've forgotten who your brother and his winged friend are."

Sakura pouted and reached out to open the doors, jumping slightly in shock when they opened without a touch. She looked up at Syaoran quizzically, only to find him staring resolutely ahead. Following his gaze, the Princess found Yue glaringly mildly at their joined hands. She was pleasantly surprised when she realised that he was being only a little disapproving of their open display of affection.

"You are supposed to enter immediately, not ponder about your decision fruitlessly outside the hall," Yue said calmly, before taking his place by Touya's side. They had barely taken two steps into the room, when the doors slammed shut behind them and Yue continued, "We will begin now, same as last time."

If Syaoran was able to dodge the immediate attack the Minister launched at them, he owed it all to his many years of harsh training. Sakura, on the other hand, was not half as fortunate; she found herself sprawled at the foot of the wall before she could process the fact that the test had begun. She glared at Yue stonily and focused her will on drawing out the bolts of energy from her hands, crying out in pain as branches coiled themselves around her body, and raised her a few feet above the floor. _'This is my magic!'_ Sakura thought in panic. _'Why am I being attacked by my own powers?'_

Yue flew towards her and unblinkingly regarded her position. He smirked in amusement when he saw her palms extend in his direction and covered them up with an almost lazy flick of his wrist; Sakura grunted in anger seeing her hands completely obscured by leaves. "You're slow, Princess," Yue drawled.

It was a mark of how apprehensive he was about Sakura's predicament that he didn't notice Tomoyo walk up to his side. "You cannot interfere," she said in a low tone, eyes never leaving the cocooned princess.

"You're on their side now?" Syaoran asked sharply.

"I'm on Sakura's side, Syaoran-kun," Tomoyo replied unhesitatingly. She didn't have to look at him to know that he was shooting daggers at her.

"What did they tell you?" he growled, loathing the way Yue was taunting Sakura.

"Nothing you won't find out in time," Tomoyo said obscurely.

_'So she does know more than she's letting on,'_ Syaoran thought grimly. "Is that where you've been all these days? Discussing whatever's to come with these people?"

She nodded shortly, before glancing briefly at the young man, who was crouching on the ground with his fists clenched. _'He's really trying his best to stay out of it.'_ She felt a flash of pity for the two, before it rapidly faded away, as she said quietly, seemingly to herself, "It's coming this winter, and there's no time to run, nowhere to hide."

Syaoran's eyed widened in alarm. _'Winter?__ That's hardly a month away. And Sakura's...'_ She was still trapped and Yue's words were getting louder, distracting his attention from the new information that had been sent their way.

"Are you surprised to see your magic attack you, Princess?" Yue was asking coolly.

Sakura whimpered in response, feeling the branches begin to make small notches in her skin. From his position on the ground, Syaoran could see the hint of tears that threatened to spill from the corner of her eyes and he mentally slapped himself for not realising why the branches seemed so familiar.

"Your powers aren't as unique as you think they are, Sakura-hime," Yue explained, more gently now. "You have known for years that your magic feeds off your emotions. They were latent for seven years because you closed yourself off from the world. You borrow the physical manifestations of your magic from the people closest to you." As if to demonstrate, Yue drew out the bolts of energy from his hands that Sakura had been attempting earlier, and smiled sadly at Sakura's look of comprehension.

"Granted, the force behind your attacks is always as strong, if not stronger than the person to whom the attack belongs. But," Yue retracted the branches just a little, loosening the hold he had on the Princess, "you will never win using borrowed power, if you go on believing that the magic makes you invincible."

Tomoyo placed a restraining hand on Syaoran's shoulder, but she needn't have bothered; Syaoran had known that about Sakura's powers, especially after she had struck him with an extremely familiar bolt of lightning as they had been training. He also knew that she needed to hear this, so he kept his eyes to the ground, not meeting the King's scrutinising stare.

Without warning, Yue released Sakura from the foliage and caught her before she could drop an inch. Softly brushing back the hair from her face, he said comfortingly, "That doesn't mean you don't have your own special magic, Sakura." The lack of formality drew Touya's gaze towards his sister, who looked as though her world had shattered. _'And it probably has.'_

Sakura stared uncomprehendingly at Yue, who was willing her to understand what he was talking about. It struck her in less than a minute. "Syaoran's picture," she whispered.

Yue nodded and tried not to let his relief show through. "That was all you, Sakura-hime. Now all you have to do is concentrate on finding that part of your abilities."

"But how?" she asked helplessly. It had taken her so long to master these abilities, which it turned out were borrowed manifestations. _'How much longer is it going to take to perfect my own magic?__ I need to be able to protect Syaoran from him!'_ Sakura thought desperately, wishing she had answers to her problems.

"Brat," Touya called stiffly. As Syaoran looked up at him impassively, he asked, as opposed to commanding, "Will you still help Sakura with her training? Even after what happened this morning?"

"Is that even a question?" Syaoran replied, looking away in derision. "I will protect Sakura with my life. If that involves helping her become stronger, then so be it."

"Will you do it because it's your duty?" Touya enquired, raising a seemingly disinterested eyebrow. The fierce look he got in return didn't faze him in the least, but gave him an odd sense of reassurance.

"I will do it because I want to." Syaoran didn't turn to look at Sakura's reaction to his strong declaration; he knew her well enough to realise that she was almost in tears. He glanced backwards briefly and noted that Sakura was on the ground again, before darting towards her and holding her close. "Don't think for a minute that I appreciate the snippet of information that you had Tomoyo 'accidentally' let slip," Syaoran added as he left, taking an exhausted princess with him.

"Never meant for that to happen," Touya said softly to his retreating back, before throwing concerned looks at Tomoyo and Yue. "Well, what do you think?"

"I think they'll be okay," Tomoyo said, clasping her hands to her chest.

"Ever the optimist, aren't you, Daidouji-san?" Yue countered, the glimmer of hope in his eyes belying his dark words.

"When it comes to Sakura," Tomoyo's eyes were unusually bright, "Yue-san, you really shouldn't expect any less from me."

* * *

**AN:** She got the last word after all. XD

Told you I was evil. -snickers- Reviews are shiny. X3


	19. Chapter 19

**AN:** I'm probably the epitome of evil for taking so long to update, but at least the chapters are getting longer. XD

I have no words to express my gratitude towards **SilentCynara**, without whom this chapter would have been a big pile of fluff-less, confusing, awkward moosh. :)

**Disclaimer:** Haven't I said it often enough?

* * *

Far away from the Kinomoto kingdom, a man with a pallid complexion sat at his desk, seemingly examining a spot on the wall to the casual observer. Only he could see the round metallic object he held delicately in one hand. When the girl started to slip, the circular device allowed him to enter her mind. And, although his countenance didn't reveal it, this man was incredibly frustrated with the way things were going.

Everything had been progressing right on schedule until earlier that week. The girl had, unfortunately, discovered his identity – he had to hand it to her; he had taken her to be a sweet, but dull-witted girl. The fact that she had pieced together the little information that was available to her, and had arrived at an accurate conclusion, was very obvious evidence to the contrary.

Her subsequent determination at hiding the truth from the boy – to 'protect' him; he'd laughed for hours at that one – was his silver lining. It pulled them apart right when her borrowed abilities were beginning to get stronger. He had been enjoying himself to bits when she turned her attacks onto the boy, only to suddenly find himself thrown out of her mind and back into his own reality. He hadn't been able to get back in and had grimly come to the conclusion that the two brats had somehow reconciled.

The thought hadn't pleased him then, and it did nothing to soothe his ruffled feathers now.

It had been a week since that day, and he glanced at a calendar hanging on the wall as he placed the globed object back into its case, reassured by the fact that they had only three weeks. He was confident of the fact that they would never be even partially as strong as he was, and the time constraint that they faced only added to his glee.

His joy was dampened only a little when he recalled the fact that the girl now most likely knew the truth about her powers, and was probably training towards making her individual abilities stronger. As he caught sight of a bag that lay in a far corner of the room, however, a wide, sadistic grin spread across his face. He walked up to the doctor's bag and pulled out a small knife, the blade of which hadn't dulled one bit over the years. The dried blood still coated the edge of the knife and, running a loving finger down the blade, his leer grew wider.

"I'll be seeing you again soon, Li-san," the man said to the small, empty room. "I didn't get the chance to grab a souvenir the last time around, what with your mother being so intent on keeping you with her all of a sudden." His thoughtful gaze roved over the several display jars, each containing a different part of a different person. Fingers or feet, scraps of hair or eyeballs – each container held a 'gift' from every 'disciple' the man had taught. His eyes gleamed in delight as he placed his favourite blade back in the bag. "I don't think you'd mind if I carved out your pretty little friend's face for my collection."

A sharp knock on the door did nothing to faze him as he called out, "What is it?"

"A letter from the ruler of Kinomoto kingdom, sir." The answer made the man's day even better.

He startled the messenger by opening the door without warning and coolly snatched the letter out of the trembling hands that held it, dismissing the underling with a careless wave. He ignored the frightened squeak that the messenger emitted once he was supposedly out of earshot, smirking broadly as he skimmed through the contents of the letter. It seemed as though, despite their remarkable perception, the Kinomoto king and his magical Prime Minister had not been as sharp as their young Princess, regarding his true intentions at least.

Sensing a presence around him, the man glanced up from the letter and spotted Li Yelan walking in the hallway before him. Despite her well-guarded appearance, he found hints of deep-seated hatred and loathing, along with slight fear sketched across the lines of her face. She bowed stiffly and said in greeting, "Diskenth-sama, how do you do?"

He barely inclined his head in return and nodded imperceptibly, before closing the door in her face. He could feel her rage through the gaps around the door and smiled when he heard her footsteps fade away.

Chuckling as he looked down at the crumpled letter he held in his fist, he said, "This year, winter will be beautiful."

**XXX**

Touya breathed a sigh of relief as he regarded the papers that littered his table. Preparations for Diskenth's arrival were finally complete, and Touya was more than happy with the fact that he had three weeks to spare. _'I can concentrate on Sakura at last.'_ But the thought made him frown, for he knew there was a limit to how much he could do for his sister; he had no magical abilities to speak of anymore, and hence could not help with her training. _'That doesn't mean I can't help out,'_ Touya thought grimly as he saw Yue enter his study.

"How's she doing?" The question was out as soon as the Minister had closed the doors behind him.

"From what Daidouji-san and I have observed," Yue replied, looking a little drawn, "she's learning fast, but it's hardly anything compared to the rate at which she was growing before."

"Still demoralised from last week?" The thought brought a frown to the King's face. He didn't want to push her into something she wasn't ready for, but they didn't have a lot of time left. _'And I can't see her become a block of ice again, if that brat dies.'_

Yue sighed, slightly troubled. "It seems to me that she's trying too hard not to use a form of magic that isn't hers and it's affecting how fast she can learn to attack again." He glanced at the paperwork lying around and frowned. "Has he responded?"

"The fact that he hasn't is his way of confirming things, isn't it?" Touya understood Yue's reluctance to allow Diskenth into the kingdom, but they hadn't been left with much of an alternative.

Desperation seeped into his eyes as Yue said vehemently, "It isn't too late to call it off, Touya. Think about what's to come."

The King's smile was filled with misery as he reached out to touch Yue's cheek. "It would be the end of us if we tried to call it off. We realised the connection too late, Yue." It hurt to admit it out loud, but Touya needed to say it and he knew Yue had to hear it. "We can do nothing except help Sakura, and hope that she gets stronger in time."

"Are you actually implying that the fate of the kingdom is more important than Sakura-chan?" A shrill feminine voice caused them to move away from each other, throwing identical startled glances at the door. Tomoyo's eyes were streaked with tears, but her poise radiated anger and demanded answers.

"No, Daidouji, I don't mean that," Touya said wearily; he was craving the solace only Yue could provide him and, though it was filled with goodwill, he found her interruption tiresome. "Nothing matters to me as much as Sakura's safety. But if I had denied him access into the country after being the one to invite him in the first place, he would have brought in his entire army and decimated every live soul he set eyes on." He regarded her grim expression calmly, before adding, "As it stands, he is coming without his troops, which is only a little less daunting."

"So, she has to get stronger no matter what?" Her eyes shone with an indescribable emotion as she thought furiously, _'Even if all she wants to do is be with Syaoran-kun in peace?'_

"If she wants herself and those closest to her to survive." Yue didn't intend the words to sound callous, but they had the desired effect on Tomoyo, who gasped in shock before slamming the door behind her as she ran out.

"You were too harsh," Touya chided gently.

Yue grunted, shooting a disbelieving glance towards the King. "You would've been no better."

"That's true," Touya sighed, letting his head lay resignedly against Yue's shoulder. "That is very true," he whispered, allowing the feel of Yue's arms around him to take him away from the dark place he was in. _'Just for a while,'_ he thought as he closed his eyes, feeling their lips meet. _'It's only for a little while.'_

**XXX**

Li Yelan strode furiously across the hall, anger and dismay clearly visible on her usually unfazed visage. The eerie delight she had seen earlier on Diskenth's face, coupled with the familiar letterhead of the Kinomoto kingdom that she had spied on the paper he had been holding, had been giving Yelan trouble since she had left the headquarters of the Elders. _'He's going to go after Syaoran again,'_ she thought, more than a little anxious. _'Not to mention the Princess is there, as well. Kinomoto-san had better have a plan up his sleeve.'_

Although she had confidence in his abilities as a ruler, Yelan had a nagging suspicion that Kinomoto Touya would be counting on his sister's latent powers to protect them all from sure doom. But it seemed to her that he was relying too heavily on a young girl who, in all probability, did not understand the extreme seriousness of the situation at hand. _'From what I observed, she and Syaoran are completely wrapped up in each other. And while that is indeed a good thing...'_

Yelan would sooner die than passively stand by again and see her son come back to her, mutilated beyond recognition. _'If Diskenth allows him to come back at all, this time.'_ The thought sent a horrified shudder through her, and she realised the terrifying danger Sakura was in as well. She knew something had to be done, and Yelan had just the right person in mind for the task. As luck would have it, he was in the Li household that very minute.

Yelan determinedly made her way to the guest's room and knocked on the door, cautiously pushing her way through when she heard a muffled response that sounded like an invitation. She smiled in greeting at the young man who stood before her and said warmly, "I hope you've found your stay so far to be to your liking."

He nodded and smiled in return, casting slightly downcast eyes towards his host. "I miss my darling relative, though. He's been gone for a while now, hasn't he?"

"Around half a year, I suppose. It was about Syaoran that I had something to ask of you." Her listener raised a curious eyebrow, at which she asked, "How would you like to visit him?"

"And help him and the Princess, if need be, against Diskenth?" His smile had become keener and much more interested.

"You always were sharp," Yelan said appreciatively.

"I would have refused, except Diskenth isn't very likely to let them be without grabbing himself a 'souvenir'." His tone was thoughtful as he added, "He isn't the type to listen to reason either."

"Exactly," said Yelan grimly. "I am not underestimating the child's abilities..."

"But it would be reassuring to have me be there, just in case," he finished, not unkindly. "Like I said, I do miss my darling relative." His midnight blue eyes twinkled in amusement. "When can I leave?"

Heaving an extremely relieved sigh, Yelan said gratefully, "I'm so glad I can count on you, Hiiragizawa-san. I'll begin the preparations immediately, so that you can be in Kinomoto kingdom in a day or two."

As Yelan hurriedly left the room, Eriol's smile slowly faded away. "Kinomoto. It certainly has been a while." He exhaled in discontent and said miserably to the empty room, "What did you go and get yourself into this time, Syaoran?"

**XXX**

Back in Sakura's room on the first floor of the Kinomoto castle, Syaoran leaned his head against the door frame, following the Princess's every movement almost lazily with his eyes. Since the beginning of the week, they had gone back to the basics of magical training, with Sakura attempting to conjure and control her own ball of energy. Being a fast learner, she had progressed quickly to different ways to draw out her unique powers, but they had yet to tackle attack magic, instead practicing more passive techniques.

Syaoran was not one to complain, since he didn't want her tiring herself out too much. _'And this was her idea in the first place,'_ he thought, observing her trying to make his sword float in mid-air. The weight of the blade was proving to be a challenge for her, as it tipped dangerously from end to end before falling on the floor unceremoniously. Sakura sighed in exhaustion, before glaring at the offending weapon that had fallen three times, and resumed trying to levitate it. Syaoran's gaze flicked to other objects that littered the room, ranging from papers to beads to cutlery that he had nicked from the kitchens – all previous, and successful attempts at floating objects.

He closed his eyes and mentally groaned, knowing that time was running out and yet, Sakura could not be pushed into training with something as delicate as magic. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Syaoran had no idea of how he was to draw out her innate powers and hone them into becoming her own, unique brand of magic. He had a vague idea that it was supposed to come from the heart – which, in his opinion, explained the picture he got for his birthday extremely well – but he didn't know how to draw it out of her. _**He **__would be extremely handy in situations like this,'_ Syaoran thought, disgruntled as mischievous blue eyes danced before him.

Sakura's weary groan brought him out of his musings and Syaoran smiled sadly at her resigned look as his sword dropped to the ground once again. He had to give her credit for trying so hard and for being able to concentrate so much. _'But she's going to hurt herself at this rate,'_ Syaoran thought, ignoring her half-hearted protests as he took her in his arms and set her on the bed.

The smallest things about her jumped out at him, and it seemed as though he was seeing her in a new light. In the month that had gone by, they had hardly been in contact with each other at all, save for their training sessions. The shadows under her eyes and the tired crease in her brow were the only things that were stopping him from having his way with her, not just as a way to show her how deeply he felt about her, but also to make up for lost time. _'That makes me sound like a dirty old man,'_ Syaoran thought, biting his lip to control the blush from becoming visible.

He stroked away the wrinkle between her eyes, before placing a tender kiss on the same spot. "That's enough for now, Sakura," he said softly as he tucked her in. "Sleep for a while and try again later."

Sakura mumbled incoherently before saying, a little louder, "Don't go yet. Stay," a deep flush settled across her cheeks, "Syaoran, please." She timidly indicated to the empty space that lay beside her, drawing a humorous chuckle from Syaoran.

"I'm not going anywhere." He held her to his front, covers and all, breathing in the scent of her hair while draping a leg across her body.

There was a comfortable silence for a while as Syaoran gazed contentedly at Sakura's warm figure, all the time thinking of how much he wanted to stay by her side forever. There was no place he would rather have been than with her and he hoped he would survive the battle that was to come, only for his one selfish desire. _'I can't even imagine the world I was in before her,'_ he thought, drawing her closer to him.

Sakura was happy that Syaoran had understood her need for comfort without pushing her away. The happiness was the key to keeping her darker thoughts at bay. If she didn't focus on the peace she was feeling in that instant, the fears would come back and the image of Syaoran lying in a pool of his own blood would fix itself in her mind.

She knew she had to get over her insecurities and relearn offensive forms of magic, but it was getting harder to dispel the horrifying leer that had plagued her dreams for a month, taunting her with his sadistic torture and the unwanted information that no matter how much she tried, she couldn't avoid meeting him. The dreams had, instead of motivating her towards becoming stronger, demoralised Sakura to the extent that she thought she would never be able to defeat him, no matter how strong she got.

'_And then there's his connection to Syaoran.'_ Sakura sighed glumly, wanting nothing else but to be able to tell Syaoran the truth, but knowing the knowledge would hurt him beyond measure.

Syaoran frowned, realising something was bothering Sakura. _'She's being unusually quiet,'_ he thought and moved to grip her shoulder when she suddenly turned over to face him, drawing a startled gaze from Syaoran.

"Syaoran," Sakura began hesitantly. "Who exactly is that Diskenth person you mentioned last week?"

The dull, nearly dead look that appeared in Syaoran's eyes was a grim confirmation to the man's identity in relation to Syaoran's past. To make matters worse, Sakura had accidentally overheard Touya and Yue talking about preparations for Diskenth's arrival. Since he was an important figure in the defence conditions of countries, she understood the complexities that lay hidden behind the political arrangements that had been going on.

'_It'll probably be a lot more dangerous for everyone if his invitation is cancelled, than if he meets with us.'_ Though Sakura tried to put on a brave front, the thought that she would be single-handedly responsible for Syaoran's fate did nothing to allay her fears. She steeled her resolve, however, on seeing Syaoran's lifeless eyes, wanting nothing more than to destroy the person who had caused him this kind of pain.

Syaoran's blood had run cold upon hearing the name of the man he hoped to avoid for the rest of his life. He had never given himself the chance to truly get over what had happened to him as a child. Although he didn't think about it as much as he used to, and he certainly didn't dream of it anymore, it still came as a shock to hear Diskenth's name again. _'Especially from Sakura,'_ he thought, noticing that he was feeling the dullness that he hadn't felt in over half a year.

"He's one of the Elders of the Li clan," Syaoran replied dispiritedly. "He wasn't an Elder back then, although he was still pretty important." Sakura wrapped her arms around him comfortingly, knowing what period of time he was referring to. "A lot of people don't agree with his methods and want to disobey him, but nobody has the courage to."

"Why not?" Sakura asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"He's a sadist," was Syaoran's flat reply. "He doesn't care who he hurts in order to get what he wants." He let out a short, mirthless laugh as he added, "Sometimes he doesn't even need something to go after. He just has his fun, as he pleases."

Sakura's dreams and her visualisations of Syaoran's past stood as testimonies to the 'fun' that this man liked to have and the Princess was having a hard time keeping the pity from seeping into her expression. She frowned and thought sadly, _'That's why he smiles all the time. Though I can't ask Syaoran about it; it'll raise his suspicions.'_

The gloomy expression on Sakura's face woke Syaoran up to the fact that she might be worrying a little too much about whatever was to come and his heart warmed at the thought that she was that concerned about his well-being. _'She really shouldn't be putting herself through this.'_

A warm hand on her cheek drew her attention to Syaoran's now-bright eyes. "But that's all in the past, Sakura. It doesn't matter now." Sakura averted her gaze and wished she could tell Syaoran the truth, which was so contrary to his thoughts. "All that's important is making sure you can protect yourself. Not that you'll have to, with me around," he added, as an afterthought.

'_I have to talk to Touya and Yue-san about this Diskenth,'_ Sakura thought unhappily, running her palm lightly across Syaoran's chest. Snuggling closer to him, she asked, "Wake me up soon?"

Syaoran smiled and kissed her sweetly, replying, "Sleep well, Sakura."

He thought he caught a glimpse of fear, but her eyes closed too quickly for him to make sure he wasn't imagining things. Syaoran frowned, not liking the possibility that Sakura might be hiding something from him. _'Again,'_ he thought, absently rubbing slow circles into her back.

'_I'll try,'_ she said silently, concentrating on the warmth of Syaoran's body instead of the awful images from her nightmares that flashed unbidden before her lidded eyes. The last thing she remembered seeing was Syaoran's cold, dead stare from his odd position on the ground, with blood from his forehead running between his eyes.

As Sakura's pattern of breathing evened out, Syaoran sighed in near-resignation. _'If she is hiding something, I have to believe that she has a good reason for doing it.'_ He had seen how vital their relationship had been in drawing Sakura's magic out from its dormancy. It always happened that when they were happy and comfortable together, their magic was at its best and it always soured their abilities when they were at odds against each other. _'This isn't the first time I've heard of this happening, either.'_

Syaoran glanced at the peaceful expression that adorned Sakura's face and smiled gently. The thought that crept unbidden and lodged itself in his head only deepened the flush that appeared when Sakura's hand unintentionally touched bare skin beneath his shirt. The fact that she was so trusting only heightened his doubts.

'_Will she hate me if I suggest it to her?'_

* * *

**AN:** Just a quick note about the 'souvenirs' that Diskenth likes to collect. It's a part of ancient Indian tradition, that upon finishing their training or their schooling, students are supposed to give their masters or teachers a gift, generally as a symbol of their respect towards their guru, or even as a fee for receiving the education. The gifts vary, depending on what the guru wants or what the student is capable of giving. It isn't very accurate in here, because the only instance I've heard about where the teacher asks for a body part is in an epic story, and it was one thumb. I incorporated it in here because I'm a little more familiar with Indian traditions (for very obvious reasons o.o) and ... well, the guy's insane enough to want to collect bits of people.

And, a review I got this morning for this story amused me, only because the reviewer asked me where Eriol was in the fic and I was in the process of posting this chapter. XD I guess you kinda got your wish? And the fic, at this point, does need him in a way.

Speaking of reviews, they really are shiny. XP Hugs to everyone who took the time out to leave one the last time around.


	20. Chapter 20

**AN:** I'm all out of excuses this time. XD Real life has a pretty annoying tendency to be a pain in the wrong places, and it gets in the way of writing. Anyway, here it is, full of irritating hinting and foreshadowing. It's also short. o.o Damn it.

Much love to **SilentCynara** for helping me out with this. I really have no words. :)

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The next morning dawned bright and early, rousing Sakura from her slumber as the rays of light splashed across her eyes. She shielded her eyes against the sunlight and briefly wondered where Syaoran was, before the arm that clutched her waist gently, yet so possessively, caused her to shift around until she was facing him again. _'We must have switched places at some point during the night,'_ she thought, smiling softly as she stroked the contours of his face, that looked so peaceful as he slept. Her own expression became rather sad as she recalled the need to talk to Touya about Diskenth. _'They have to know something important about him,'_ Sakura thought as she cautiously raised herself off the bed. _'A weakness or a clue about how to bring him down.'_

With that hopeful thought lodged in her mind, Sakura hurriedly dressed herself, all the while being careful not to disturb Syaoran. She smoothed down the front of her skirt, casting loving eyes on Syaoran before tenderly kissing his brow. "We will defeat him," she whispered, putting all the hope that she had behind her words. "I'll make sure we get our very own happy ending."

It took all of Sakura's efforts to leave his side and go downstairs in search of her brother. In her forced haste while getting out of the room, she missed the fist that clenched at the bed covers and the saddened look in Syaoran's now-open eyes. He sighed, knowing that nothing he did would be able to stop her from trying to do what she wanted to. "Just ... don't do anything rash," he muttered resignedly to the empty room.

Downstairs, Sakura was determinedly making her way towards the throne room, with an instinctual feeling that told her that the people she wanted to see were in there and not in their respective rooms. She vaguely sensed an unfamiliar aura apart from Touya and Yue, but didn't give it much thought as she stormed her way in, pausing only to knock shortly on the open doors. It put her off to see their backs facing her and she belatedly realised that they were talking to someone else.

Yue noticed her first, as she stood awkwardly by the door. "Sakura-hime, I'm glad to see you're finally up. I hope you rested well."

Sakura nodded briefly, knowing that the question was a mere formality for the person who stood with them. Despite her reluctance, she felt herself being taken in by his mesmerising blue eyes that radiated kindness and yet, in some way, seemed a bit formidable; his spectacles did nothing to reduce the intensity of his gaze. Her captivation with this new man decreased only a little as she realised she wouldn't be able to ask her brother about Diskenth. Only the feeling of warmth that Syaoran had given her throughout the night, that still persisted, and the thought of his gentle brown eyes brought her out of the semi-trance that she seemed to have entered and she turned an inquiring gaze on Touya. She thought she heard a soft chuckle from the general direction of the dark-haired young man, but decided to ignore it for the time being.

"Sakura, this is Hiiragizawa Eriol-san," Touya said cordially. "He is Li Yelan-san's distant nephew and will be staying here with us for a while."

"I hope you will find your stay to your liking, Hiiragizawa-san," said Sakura, bowing deeply. Her face did not belie the numerous questions running through her mind or the extreme confusion she suddenly found herself feeling. _'Does that mean he's Syaoran's cousin? Does Syaoran even know about his arrival?'_

"Oh, I'm sure I will, Sakura-hime," Eriol replied, taking Sakura's hand in his and kissing it softly. He smiled slightly at the blush that rose on Sakura's face almost immediately and offhandedly asked Touya, "Kinomoto-san, would you mind terribly if I asked your sister to show me around?"

Ignoring Sakura's looks of protest, Touya nodded and watched wordlessly as Sakura led Eriol out of the throne room, trying to hide her irritation and failing. He waited until they were out of sight to say, "This is awfully convenient, isn't it?"

"Perhaps Li-san thought she was doing us a favour," Yue offered.

"She definitely is," Touya said agreeably. "But why did it seem like he knew more about this kingdom's past than he was letting on?"

"What do you mean, Touya?" Yue had been hoping that Touya wouldn't pick up on it, despite knowing that it was foolishness to believe so. _'I really don't want to have to hide things from you, Touya,'_ Yue thought sadly.

The King shot an incredulous stare at Yue. "I mean, the things he was saying before Sakura got here. About how the country hasn't changed all that much ... and about Otou-san..." His voice was strained as he went on, "Why does he know about Otou-san? Isn't he related to the Li's?" He was beginning to sound desperate. "Has this all been planned out so far in advance, that the decisions I thought I made based on rational judgement, have absolutely no meaning? Do I have so little control over what happens to Sakura?"

The desolation in Touya's eyes as well as the misery in his voice drew a heavy sigh from Yue as he embraced the King, gently resting Touya's head against his shoulder. "We don't know the answers to all that yet," Yue whispered, attempting to offer solace. "But we will find out, and then you can rest easy." He mentally sighed in relief as he felt Touya's tight grip around his waist relax just a bit.

It was taking him all the effort he could muster to ignore the mocking whispers in his mind that incessantly shrieked, _'Lies, lies, lies! Oh, Yue, how can you lie to Touya so guiltlessly?'_

Yue couldn't begin to imagine how his own mind thought he was feeling guiltless.

**XXX**

Sakura was starting to feel distinctly uncomfortable as she walked with Eriol around the castle grounds. The kindness that she thought she had perceived earlier was beginning to grate on her nerves; she had soon detected that it was the type of kindness aimed towards attaining something and, for the life of her, Sakura could not figure out what this mysterious man wanted.

She had shown him all the major sites that stood to be seen at the castle, as well as some of her more well-known favoured places, hoping that it would be enough to sate his curiosity, but it seemed as though she was out of luck. He had expressed a desire to see a place that was "extremely close to the heart of the Princess" and it bothered Sakura that he knew such a place existed, even though he had arrived only earlier that day.

'_I'm not about to show him where Syaoran and I practice,'_ Sakura thought vehemently, as she stepped casually on the grass that grew beside the tree they were standing under. She saw a shadow of a smirk cross Eriol's face as he spotted something at a distance behind them, but when she turned to see what had caught his attention, he caught her hand and entwined his fingers in hers.

Sakura suppressed a shudder at the feel of a hand against hers that wasn't Syaoran's and stared up at Eriol with wary eyes. "Is something the matter, Hiiragizawa-san?"

"I wonder, Sakura-hime," he replied, in an evasive manner. "Is my darling relative doing well?"

Bewildered, Sakura asked, "Do you mean Syaoran?"

Eriol smiled delightfully, as though her answer had solved all the problems he had been facing. "Ah, yes. Syaoran." There was a little too much emphasis given to his name that only served to heighten Sakura's cautiousness. "I don't suppose he's told you about his childhood?"

She gasped in shock, before wrenching her hand free from his grasp. Shooting him a smouldering look, Sakura said, "If you're distantly related to him, why do you know so much?"

"You're practically a stranger, Sakura-hime," Eriol countered. "Why do you know so much?"

Her scathing reply was at the tip of her tongue, when a chirpy voice from behind stopped her. She chose to instead continue glaring at the man, whose smile was bordering on impertinent.

"There you are, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo said, acknowledging Eriol with a small smile. "If you aren't too busy, do you think you could go upstairs?" Off Sakura's curious look, she added, "Syaoran-kun's looking a bit impatient and I think he wants to see you."

The raven-haired girl nearly dissolved into a fit of giggles at the sheer relief that appeared on Sakura's face. "I beg your pardon, Hiiragizawa-san, but I shall take your leave now," said the Princess, bowing courteously. "I entrust Tomoyo with taking care of the rest of your needs." She smiled gratefully at her friend before dashing off towards the castle, with her skirts trailing ferociously behind her.

The two who remained behind looked on long after she had disappeared from sight, before Tomoyo broke the silence by amicably saying, "Hiiragizawa-san, was it?"

"I presume you are the Daidouji-san that Yue-san mentioned," Eriol replied, just as affably.

She turned around to look at him, as she asked curiously, "Why did you act like such a brute in front of Sakura?"

His eyes widened just a fraction in surprise. "Remarkably sharp, Daidouji-san," he said appreciatively. "But, I have my reasons."

"They wouldn't have anything to do with her and Syaoran-kun now, would they?" Tomoyo smiled as Eriol's expression turned into shock.

"I see Yue wasn't talking of you lightly," he muttered under his breath. Noticing her inquisitive glance, he answered a little louder, "I suppose you noticed him on the balcony as well?"

Instead of answering, Tomoyo sighed deeply. "If you're trying to make their relationship stronger in a shorter span of time," she began, a little weary. "You really should know better." Seeing that he wasn't about to interrupt, she continued, "Syaoran-kun and Sakura may be smart when it comes to things around them, but when it comes to themselves ..." She looked resigned as she finished, "Well, they aren't the brightest in the bunch."

"Ah, but that's what I'm counting on," smiled Eriol in reply.

She regarded him in faint admiration as they both looked up at the Princess's balcony, hoping that the events occurring in that room were going according to plan.

**XXX**

"Syaoran?" Sakura peeped in around the door to his room and was not surprised to find him missing. Shutting the door behind her, she padded across the distance covering the two rooms and saw him sitting on her bed, staring dazedly at a spot on the ground.

She stopped by the adjoining door and leaned against the frame, taking in Syaoran's brooding posture. Even though he seemed glum, and had probably not noticed her presence, the mere sight of him managed to send delightful shivers down her spine. At that moment, she was so grateful and so happy to be around him, that not even the thought of the battle in a few weeks could put off her happiness.

"How long are you going to be standing there for?" His cold voice caused her to jump in her place, more than just a little startled.

"Syaoran?" His tone made her anxious and the blank look he directed towards her only heightened her apprehensions. "Syaoran, what happened?"

She didn't know when he had risen from the bed or how they had gotten so close to each other when it felt like neither had moved an inch. She inhaled sharply as his hands gripped her upper arms, but she stared resolutely into his dull eyes as he asked, "Why were you with **him**?"

'_Is he jealous?'_ She tilted her head slightly and regarded him for a minute before saying carefully, "You mean Hiiragizawa-san?"

Syaoran let her go as abruptly as he had latched on and punched his fist into the closest wall. "Yes, of course I mean him!" he declared strongly, resolutely ignoring the light tinge of blood that now coated his knuckles. "Why were you with him?"

"Touya said he'd be staying here for a while and asked me to show him around," Sakura said calmly. She jumped slightly again when his fist met the wall once more; a trace of blood remained on the wall, drawing Sakura's anxious gaze to Syaoran's wounded fist. "What happened between you two for you to dislike him so much?"

No matter how much he wanted to, Syaoran couldn't admit to her that he was jealous – of Hiiragizawa for being a sweet talker with the women and of the possibility that Sakura might actually like the attention that he had been bestowing upon her. Instead, he replied, "I just never got along much with him, even though he trained me when I was younger." Silently he added, _'And I don't want to see him take you away from me.'_

His eyes widened in surprise as a pair of small arms came up around him and a tiny head rested against his back. "You're really a baka if you think I was even a little impressed with his tactics."

Syaoran sighed and turned around in Sakura's arms, trying not to let his respite show through. "It's just..." he began, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Have you noticed how we become stronger, magically speaking, when we're happy with each other?" A short, slightly confused nod had him continue, "I don't want him ruining the chances that we have to help you get stronger."

Sakura looked a little defeated as she said softly, "Is that the only reason?"

Syaoran stared down at her before holding her close to his chest. "I don't want him in the picture and taking away the little happiness that we manage to get while we're together." He kept Sakura's face pressed to him, longer than was necessary; it was more than he could handle for him to let her see the furious blush that had settled across his cheeks.

"Syaoran," Sakura whispered lovingly. "Once this fight is over, we'll be together and ecstatic ... forever." She smiled at him brilliantly as she went on, "What's an interruption here and there when at the end of the day, nobody can stop us from being with each other?"

Syaoran still seemed a bit hesitant, when Sakura raised herself to place feather-light kisses on his lips. He had been waging a war within himself regarding whether or not to bring the topic up, but the unconditional love behind Sakura's kisses decided the issue for him. Running a finger down her arm, he had just mustered the courage to ask her when a swift motion near the door had his attention completely refocused.

The instant he spotted dark hair falling into the eyes of a young man, he let out a feral growl and had his unsheathed sword at Eriol's neck in an instant. "You," he snarled.

"I see your skills haven't rusted in the least, my darling relative," Eriol said smoothly. "Have you been practicing?"

"You should know without having to ask me, Hiiragizawa," Syaoran said curtly, not releasing his hold on Eriol in the least. "Or are you losing touch?"

"I wouldn't be here if I had, Syaoran." The answer seemed to dissatisfy Syaoran in some way, as he dropped Eriol from his hold and placed his sword back in its scabbard.

Tomoyo, who had entered the room behind Eriol, exchanged extremely puzzled glances with Sakura, who was more concerned about the reason behind Syaoran's sudden surge of anger. She stared worriedly at him as he turned his back to Eriol, closing his eyes in an attempt to calm himself as he asked flatly, "What are you doing in here?"

"Daidouji-san was just filling me in about the situation with the Princess and her magic." If Eriol picked up on Syaoran's still simmering rage, he chose not to comment on it. He went on, "Since Yelan-san entrusted me with looking after you both," once again, Eriol ignored Syaoran's disbelieving stare, "I've decided to help train Sakura with her magic." He stared at Syaoran as though daring him to retaliate. "Just like I did with you, Syaoran."

* * *

**AN:** FFN is hell-bent on screwing up the formatting of this fic. Gah. So, how annoyed are we with cryptic talk? XP

Oh and yes, I love cliffhangers and sparkly reviews.


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